Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called upon academic institutions to transform their campuses into hubs of industry collaboration and research-driven learning to provide students with essential real-world exposure.

Addressing a post-Budget webinar in the virtual mode, PM Modi discussed the integration between education, employment, and enterprise, highlighting the promotion of the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) sector.

Asserting that India is moving towards an innovation-driven economy, Prime Minister said “I would urge you that in this webinar, there must be a brainstorm on developing your campuses as centres of industry collaboration and research-driven learning”.

He further highlighted the importance of synergy between institutions, industry, and academia to accelerate national progress expressing confidence that these discussions would provide a solid roadmap for the future and solidify the foundation of a Developed India.

"With such efforts, the foundation of a Developed India will be further strengthened," said PM Modi.

Prime Minister lauded the evolving mindset of India’s youth as the nation's greatest strength and called for an education system that matches this spirit.

He highlighted that continuous efforts are being made to link education with employment and enterprise.

Prime Minister emphasised that the New Education Policy provides the foundation for a curriculum that must stay aligned with market demands and the real-world economy, specifically in fields like AI, automation, and the digital economy.

"We will have to accelerate the process of linking our education system with the real-world economy," PM Modi noted.

Prime Minister also expressed pride in the increasing number of women in STEM fields and reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for daughters in futuristic technologies.

Calling for a robust research ecosystem that encourages young researchers to innovate and experiment without barriers, he said, "we have to create such a research ecosystem where young researchers get full opportunity to experiment and work on new ideas."