Innovation centres for Dakshina Kannada, Udupi soon: Nirmala Sitharaman

The setting up of one Innovation Centre each, in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, has been approved under the NITI Aayog Atal Innovation Mission, said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The orders to begin the set up would soon be passed by the Centre she added.

She was speaking at the Mallikatte complex in Mangaluru on Friday after inaugurating the incubation centre there.  

The Defence Minister said that the incubation centres would be set up in Mangaluru's NITK and Nitte deemed universities.  

"Tinkering labs have been sanctioned for 55 schools in three coastal districts of Karnataka already. We intend to set up innovation centres in two colleges in each district," Nirmala said.  

She informed that the objective of tinkering labs in schools was to nurture innovation among students from an early age.

"At the college level they get a stage to express their inventiveness. Thereafter, those who hold promise will get opportunities and infrastructure to work at the  innovation centre," she added.  

Besides, incubation centres will assist start-ups with finance and infrastructure she added.