Vijay Bolloju, Director for R&D, iVP Semiconductor
“Innovation is not reserved for experienced professionals alone! An inquisitive mind of a student or a fresher can be just as innovative. An innovation need not be a paradigm shift—it can be a simple idea that makes life easier for someone or makes something more efficient. Great ideas can emerge at any time, from anyone, anywhere. It is the responsibility of schools and mentors to nurture these ideas, encouraging them to be explored and developed.
A startup can serve as a launch pad where ideas are transformed into real-world products or services. Frugal innovation, in particular, offers a sustainable way to turn creative thinking into impactful outcomes. They also provide young people with a hands-on environment to learn the many dimensions of entrepreneurship. Involvement in early-stage ventures equips them with the skills and mindset to thrive—either as founders or as integral contributors to larger enterprises.
Beginning the entrepreneurial journey early in one’s career can be highly advantageous. Young minds are often free from entrenched biases and possess a natural appetite for risk. To truly harness this potential, collaboration between industry and academia is essential—empowering the next generation to pursue entrepreneurship as a viable and impactful career path.
India currently faces ecosystem gaps across nearly in every industry. Startups and MSMEs are uniquely positioned to address these challenges. Young innovators should feel encouraged to step forward and take on this responsibility—knowing that both industry and academia stand ready to support their efforts.”
Dominic Pereira, VP, Product Management, Automation Anywhere
“India is emerging as a global leader in technology-driven workforce transformation, driven by national initiatives that upskill talent in AI, digital technologies, and automation. GCCs continue to lead in adopting and deploying AI and automation across industries like financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and energy sectors.
Automation Anywhere supports this momentum by offering accessible automation tools and comprehensive hands-on training programs. Automation Anywhere University has facilitated the completion of over 3.5 million courses globally, reflecting our commitment to equipping users with essential skills and knowledge in the field of automation. With the rise of Agentic Process Automation, we are entering a new era where digital agents autonomously initiate and execute complex business processes – reshaping how work is done. This enables organizations to scale efficiently while unlocking deeper human-machine collaboration.
Our efforts align with India’s skilling missions, such as the Skill India Digital Hub and the IndiaAI initiative, contributing to a digitally empowered workforce. On this National Technology Day, we celebrate India’s commitment to inclusive, tech-led progress and reaffirm our dedication to supporting this journey through innovation and collaboration.”
Noopur Julka, Senior Director, UST
“Early exposure to an innovation-driven environment can transform how young minds approach problem-solving. Only when students are introduced to the possibilities of technology, their ideas grow into impactful solutions. For instance, a student exposed to coding early on might go from designing simple apps to building tools that address real-world challenges like climate change or healthcare inefficiencies. This early nurturing of creativity helps them see technology not as a mere tool but as a platform for positive change.
But how do we expect young people to become problem-solvers if we train them to avoid mistakes? True innovation thrives only when we are unafraid to take risks. It flourishes in freedom, in trial and error, and in the willingness to fail. They must learn that setbacks are stepping stones to success, and schools play a vital role in fostering this resilience and adaptability.
Educational institutions, adapting to changing times, must shift from valuing perfect answers to rewarding bold and innovative solutions. They are essential in this process, acting like a laboratory where failure isn’t a dead-end, but part of the scientific process. This shift doesn’t take million-dollar labs or advanced tech. It requires giving students the space to care, to try, and develop a genuine curiosity for learning. Because real growth begins with failure, preparing them to embrace challenges and innovate fearlessly in the entrepreneurial world.”
Rahul Jain, Head of AI Centre of Excellence, Fidelity International
“We are at the forefront of one of the biggest technological revolutions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the transformative tool that offers us the opportunity to enhance our customer experience, simplify operational processes, improve business outcomes — all while simultaneously boosting employee productivity. By adopting AI, we are not merely addressing challenges; we are turning them into opportunities. India holds a unique position in this transformation — not only due to its vast pool of skilled and trainable talent, but also because of the sheer scale of opportunity across its industries.
At Fidelity International, we are already ahead in leveraging the potential of AI to accelerate the delivery of our strategy. Our ‘Responsible AI Framework’ ensures that our use of AI is conducted in an ethical, secure, and scalable way. Our ‘AI Adoption and Success Programme’ is already paying dividends and positively impacting our client experience.”
