BioVoice News October 2016 Issue 6 Volume 1 | Page 16

cover story “ India is known for its contribution to invention and innovation. There is a lot that Israel and India can learn from each other. After overseeing an entrepreneurial and innovation revolution in Israel, I am glad to be able to share our learnings and interact with budding entrepreneurs and innovators of India. Mr Yigal Elrich, Founder, Chairman and Managing Partner, Yozma Group, Israel Can’t do without an enabling ecosystem! The best way forward to implement the strategy is to create a sustainable innovation ecosystem for budding and existing entrepreneurs. And how do we create that ecosystem? One expert calls it a mixture of knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship. “You require 16 BioVoiceNews | October 2016 good universities and basic infrastructure to create that ecosystem. Basic matter! It can’t be just talk but the freedom to think, convey and convert ideas,” he said. “15,000 startups for 1.5 billion population is a tip of an iceberg. Out of that only 2000 startups in biotech with just 200 incubators. So, we need more fellowships, more incubation spaces,” stated Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology who stressed on need to broaden basic innovation ecosystem. “Conviction, determination, truthfulness and madness defines entrepreneurship,” opined Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science and Technology recently while attending the DBT’s Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) Innovators Meet. Calling India as the land of innovations where large number of entrepreneurs and innovators are showcasing their ideas, Dr Vardhan said the government is trying to do its best. “As per the vision of the Prime Minister, this government is doing everything within its power to give Indian entrepreneurs a platform to take their ideas to the world and vie with the best.” While no doubt this is the most opportune time for right people to grab the ideal ecosystem, at the