Secretary, Department of Science & Technology Professor Ashutosh Sharma highlighted India’s need to connect with global Science & Technology ecosystem for benefit of society, while inaugurating the Global Indian Scientists & Technocrats Meet (GIST) as a part of Indian International Science Festival 2019 at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kolkata.

GIST brought together an eminent group of Indian Scientists & Technocrats’ from all over the world who participated in brainstorming sessions on ‘Disruptive technologies and opportunities of artificial intelligence and its applications’. They discussed innovative mechanisms to connect Indian Diaspora with science in India and contribute to India’s growth through knowledge exchange.

 Professor Sharma called on the Indian Diaspora to share their expertise in National Missions like Cyber Physical System, Super Computing Mission and other emerging areas.

He added that Government has several programmes like Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA), Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) and so on dedicated to Indian Diaspora and emphasized on interdisciplinary engagement in value proposition from Indian scientists based in the country and those based abroad. 

Emphasizing the need for GIST, Dr. Y K Gupta, Vigyan Bharati said that GIST provide a platform for interested Indian scientists based abroad to collaborate and exchange the ideas for taking the country forward.

GIST is an autonomous platform created by Vigyan Bharati to link global Indians with the under privileged masses in the country, mostly residing in more than three lakh villages. The GIST facilitates identification of problems and connects it with the group that could engage itself in working out the required solution and its implementation.

Indian scientists from several countries participated in the meet and exchanged their ideas and views on how Indian Diaspora can contribute in areas like startup, health, artificial intelligence and so on for sustainable development in India.