Talent Never Lacked in India, Says PM in Mann Ki Baat Episode 139

New Delhi, October 25: Speaking in the 139th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the ideas of young innovators he encountered in Chennai and recalled the contribution of scientist Narinder Singh Kapany.

Recounting his Chennai visit, the Prime Minister said his first engagement was meeting youth in the metro, followed by a programme at IIT Madras. He said it was heartening to see how young minds are finding innovative solutions to complex challenges.

Modi shared details of several startups. One is developing technology to check the quality of gold so that buyers are protected from fraud. A team of youngsters is building a platform that can quickly recover funds siphoned off through bank fraud. Another group is working on how artificial intelligence can assist in cervical cancer diagnosis.

At IIT Madras, he noted, the discussions were entirely focused on deep technology. The startups are receiving help from the institute's incubation ecosystem. One is creating an electric vehicle that can fly over the sea, while another is making fast-charging batteries for drones and electric vehicles. A further team is exploring the use of AI in defence technology.

According to the Prime Minister, young people today are capable of such extraordinary work because they have the right environment and support. He asserted that India has never been short of talent.

He also referred to the 100th birth anniversary of Narinder Singh Kapany on October 31. Recognised globally as the father of fibre optics, Kapany was born in Moga district of Punjab. His advanced research on carrying light through thin fibres opened a new direction for communication.

Modi observed that the era of internet and digital communication would be hard to imagine without fibre optics. He paid tribute to Kapany and expressed his wish that young people read about and learn from scientists like him to find inspiration.