**Executive Summary**
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh addressed the two-day National Workshop on “Grassroots Innovation Pathways” held in Ahmedabad on May 19–20, 2026. Organized by NITI Aayog, the National Innovation Foundation, and GUJCOST, the event aimed to promote a community-led innovation ecosystem to strengthen India’s rural economy and reduce regional imbalances. Key objectives include scaling traditional skills through modern technology and creating policy frameworks to transform local innovations into viable commercial products for "Viksit Bharat @2047."
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Strategic Value of Grassroots Innovation**
* Grassroots innovators are categorized as "silent nation builders" whose practical innovations hold immense potential for national development and livelihood generation.
* Innovation must be decentralized, expanding beyond metropolitan centers and elite laboratories into villages, smaller towns, and community ecosystems.
* Strengthening the rural economy through these innovators is viewed as a prerequisite for India to emerge as a leading global economy.
**Integration of Technology and Tradition**
* Combining traditional knowledge systems with modern technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence and advanced food processing, significantly increases the market potential of local products.
* Successful examples include scientific support for millet-based products and regional food items, which improved income opportunities for local communities.
* The goal is to create a bottom-up process that connects local innovators with validation systems and modern market opportunities.
**Institutional Convergence and Support**
* There is a critical need for stronger convergence between grassroots innovators and formal ecosystems, including research institutions, incubators, and industry.
* The workshop emphasized technical sessions on institutional enablers, policy frameworks, and scalable models for expanding innovation nationwide.
* Current initiatives like "PM Vishwakarma" and "Mann Ki Baat" are highlighted as essential tools for linking traditional skills with entrepreneurship and technology.
**Impact Analysis**
**Grassroots Innovators (Rural and Tier-2/3 City Residents)**
**Impact**
They are recognized as formal stakeholders in the national economy, receiving pathways to scale their "lived experience" ideas into viable products despite a lack of formal academic qualifications.
**Action Required**
Engage with community-led innovation ecosystems and utilize available scientific validation systems to commercialize local skills and products.
**NITI Aayog and Scientific Institutions (NIF, GUJCOST, and Research Centers)**
**Impact**
These bodies are tasked with bridging the gap between formal scientific programs and ground realities to ensure government schemes reach local innovators.
**Action Required**
Develop robust policy frameworks, enhance institutional coordination, and provide incubation support to scale grassroots models across the country.
**Industry and Incubators**
**Impact**
The sector is identified as a key partner in the commercialization process and the integration of modern technology into traditional crafts.
**Action Required**
Collaborate with local innovators to provide technical support and create market-linked pathways for regional products.
Key Entities Referenced
National Workshop on “Grassroots Innovation Pathways”: A two-day national event focused on integrating community-led innovations into the formal economy to strengthen rural development.
NITI Aayog: The primary government policy think tank that co-organized the workshop to promote inclusive innovation-led growth across India.
National Innovation Foundation (NIF): An autonomous body that collaborates to identify, support, and scale innovations emerging from outside formal institutional systems.
PM Vishwakarma: A central government scheme cited as a key initiative for preserving traditional skills and linking local artisans with modern technology and entrepreneurship.
Viksit Bharat @2047: The national vision for a developed India by 2047, which serves as the strategic objective for empowering grassroots innovators.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Promoting 'Grassroots Innovators' can
Strengthen Rural Economy, reduce regional
imbalance: Dr. Jitendra Singh
Grassroots innovators are India’s silent nation builders;
integrating traditional skills with modern technology can
accelerate inclusive economic growth, says Union Minister
Jitendra Singh
A uniform Community-Led Innovation ecosystem holds
promise of being a Major Driver of India’s wholesome
Economic Transformation: Dr. Jitendra Singh
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh Addresses National
Workshop on Grassroots Innovation in Ahmedabad
Posted On: 19 MAY 2026 4:11PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Minister of
State for PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department
of Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that promoting 'Grassroots Innovators' can strengthen India's rural
economy and reduce regional imbalance through inclusive, innovation-led growth.
The Minister said, said grassroots innovators must become active stakeholders in India’s economic
transformation, as their traditional knowledge, local skills and practical innovations hold immense
potential for livelihood generation, decentralized growth and national development.
Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day National Workshop on “Grassroots Innovation Pathways:
From Local Resilience to National Advancements” at Science City, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Dr. Jitendra
Singh described grassroots innovators as India’s “silent nation builders” whose contributions often remain
outside formal institutional systems despite their significant societal and economic value. He said
innovation in India should not remain confined to metropolitan centres, laboratories or elite institutions,
but must expand across villages, smaller towns and community ecosystems.
The workshop has been organized by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the National Innovation
Foundation (NIF) and Gujarat Council of Science & Technology (GUJCOST). The inaugural session was
attended by Gujarat Minister for Science & Technology Shri Arjun Modhwadia former DRDO Chairman
and former NITI Aayog Member Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Senior Adviser (Science & Technology), NITI Aayog
Prof. Vivek Kumar Singh, Secretary DST Gujarat Ms. P. Bharathi, National Innovation Foundation
Director Dr. Arvind Ranade and several scientists, policymakers and innovators from across the country.Dr. Jitendra Singh said India possesses a unique ability to innovate under resource constraints and that
many transformative ideas emerge directly from lived experiences and local challenges. Referring to the
early years of India’s space programme, he recalled how Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and other pioneers worked
with minimal infrastructure but extraordinary commitment, demonstrating the inherent innovation
capacity of India’s human resource.
The Minister said many grassroots innovators may not possess formal academic qualifications, yet display
remarkable creativity and technical aptitude rooted in practical experience. He noted that a large number
of startups are now emerging from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, reflecting the growing innovation potential of
smaller towns and rural India.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said grassroots innovation is fundamentally a bottom-up process and stressed the need
to connect local innovators with scientific institutions, modern technology, validation systems and market
opportunities. He said the challenge is not merely to identify innovators, but to create pathways for scaling
their innovations into viable products and community solutions.
He emphasized that grassroots innovation must also be viewed as an economic and developmental
priority. India, he said, cannot emerge as a leading global economy unless rural economies are
strengthened and growth becomes regionally balanced. He added that grassroots innovation can play a
major role in employment generation, community entrepreneurship and reducing developmental
disparities.
Dr. Jitendra Singh called for stronger convergence between grassroots innovators and formal innovation
ecosystems, including research institutions, incubators and industry. He said many government schemes
and scientific programmes often fail to adequately reach local innovators because they remain
disconnected from ground realities.
Highlighting the importance of technology integration, the Minister said combining traditional knowledge
systems with modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and food processing technologies can
significantly increase the value and market potential of local products and skills. He cited successful
interventions involving millet-based products and traditional regional food items where scientific support
helped improve commercialization and income opportunities for local communities.
The Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently encouraged grassroots innovation and
community participation through initiatives such as “Mann Ki Baat” and PM Vishwakarma, which are
helping preserve traditional skills while linking them with technology, entrepreneurship and economic
opportunity.
The workshop includes technical sessions on Institutional Enablers to Support Grassroots Innovation,
Learning from Grassroots Innovators, Community Driven Innovation Initiatives and Regional & State
Innovation Initiatives. Discussions during the workshop are expected to focus on policy frameworks,
institutional coordination, incubation support and scalable models for expanding grassroots innovation
across the country.
Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed confidence that such initiatives would help build a stronger and more
connected innovation ecosystem where innovators from villages and remote regions become equal
participants in India’s development journey and contribute meaningfully towards Viksit Bharat @2047.*****NKR/AK
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