{"id":470,"date":"2025-07-07T06:25:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T06:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/?p=470"},"modified":"2025-07-14T10:17:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T10:17:49","slug":"honble-union-minister-nitin-gadkari-inaugurates-ictrd-secretariat-and-incubation-centre-in-nagpur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/honble-union-minister-nitin-gadkari-inaugurates-ictrd-secretariat-and-incubation-centre-in-nagpur\/","title":{"rendered":"Hon\u2019ble Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates ICTRD Secretariat and Incubation Centre in Nagpur"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a landmark moment for Vidarbha’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, Hon\u2019ble Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari<\/strong>, inaugurated the Indian Council for Technical Research and Development (ICTRD) Secretariat Building and Startup Incubation Centre<\/strong> at Adarsh Nagar Ground, Trimurti Nagar, Nagpur, on 5th July 2025<\/strong>. This pivotal step is set to accelerate regional development through grassroots innovation, skill enhancement, and research-driven entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Shri
Shri Nitinji Gadkari performing the traditional lamp lighting along with Dr. Ketan Mohitkar during the inauguration of the ICTRD Secretariat and Incubation Centre<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The inaugural ceremony began with a walkthrough of ICTRD\u2019s state-of-the-art facility, followed by the traditional Deep Prajwalan and the digital launch of ICTRD\u2019s technology platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Ketan Mohitkar: Driving Force Behind ICTRD\u2019s Visio<\/strong>n<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The event was led and coordinated under the guidance of  Dr. Ketan Mohitkar<\/strong>, Member Secretary of ICTRD<\/strong>, who warmly welcomed the gathering and expressed heartfelt gratitude to Hon\u2019ble  Gadkari for his continued support and vision for youth-led transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With over 15 years of experience in technology, innovation, startup, education and public service,  Dr. Ketan Mohitkar has been instrumental in conceptualizing and developing the ICTRD Secretariat and Incubation Centre, transforming it into a vibrant platform for nurturing startups, researchers, and skill-based development across Maharashtra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"ICTRD
ICTRD Member Secretary Dr. Ketan Mohitkar felicitating Shri Nitinji Gadkar during the inauguration ceremony of the ICTRD Secretariat and Incubation Centre<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nitin Gadkari praised Dr. Ketan Mohitkar\u2019s consistent dedication, referring to him as the driving force behind this visionary initiative. Under his leadership, ICTRD has emerged as a national platform focused on inclusive growth through technological research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vision Backed by Leadership<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Shri
Shri Nitinji Gadkari addressing at the inauguration of ICTRD Secretariat Building<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In his keynote address, Nitin Gadkari emphasized the importance of transforming India\u2019s youth from job seekers to job creators, highlighting the country\u2019s impressive growth to over 1.8 lakh startups. He positioned ICTRD as a model institution for region-focused innovation<\/strong> and acknowledged the importance of collaboration between technology, research, and industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister shared that the concept of such a centre had initially emerged from discussions with Nanda Jichkar, the former Mayor of Nagpur. Today, thanks to the collaborative efforts led by  Dr. Ketan Mohitkar, that vision has been realized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ICTRD: A Hub for Innovation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Dr.
Dr. Ketan Mohitkar Outlines ICTRD\u2019s Mission for Innovation, Growth, and Future Possibilities.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ICTRD has emerged as a powerful catalyst for grassroots innovation, skill-building, and entrepreneurship. The newly launched Startup Incubation Centre is not just a physical facility\u2014it is a platform that nurtures ideas into impactful enterprises. ICTRD offers startups and researchers the infrastructure, mentorship, guidance, and support they need to scale, while also promoting skill-based education by offering various training and development programs. Nitin Gadkari praised ICTRD\u2019s role in driving region-specific innovation, citing real-world success stories such as electric tractors, drone-assisted farming, and organic produce commercialization\u2014all aligned with ICTRD\u2019s mission to create a future-ready, self-reliant Vidarbha and India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Platform for Future-Ready Development<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gadkari elaborated on Vidarbha\u2019s potential to become a \u20b910,000 crore orange economy, referring to a Spanish-inspired farming model now being adopted by over 700 farmers and scientists. He emphasized that the ICTRD Centre will help replicate high-impact models in agriculture, energy, digital innovation, and animal husbandry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cTechnology, innovation, and knowledge are the future. ICTRD is building a complete ecosystem that blends research, education, and entrepreneurship.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nHon\u2019ble Union Minister Nitin Gadkari<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Distinguished Dignitaries Present<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Dignitaries
Dignitaries Present at the ICTRD Secretariat Building Inauguration Ceremony<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The event was graced by several dignitaries who lent their support and appreciation for ICTRD\u2019s mission. Esteemed guests included Ajay Sancheti (Former Rajya Sabha MP), Dr. Vikas Mahatme (Former MP), Sanjay Bhende (President, Nagpur Nagrik Sahakari Bank), Nanda Jichkar (Former Mayor), Lahu Kumar (Former Corporator), CA Milind Kanade, Dr. Yogesh Bonde, and Dr. Ashish Sasankar.
Rajesh Gadewar delivered the Vote of Thanks, commending the dedication of the ICTRD team and reaffirming support for region-centric development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ICTRD \u2013 Driving Skill, Research & Growth in Vidarbha<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"ICTRD
ICTRD Secretariat Building and Incubation Centre Nagpur<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nitin Gadkari also mentioned upcoming transformative projects like Dhapewada Textiles, digital agri-models, and a proposed Global University of Logistics and Skill Development at Butibori\u2014all of which align with ICTRD\u2019s goals of empowering youth and addressing local development challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He concluded with a strong endorsement of the ICTRD initiative, congratulating  Dr. Ketan Mohitkar and the entire team, and reaffirmed his commitment to building a self-reliant, innovation-driven Vidarbha rooted in technology, sustainability, and progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebration with Dinner & Live Music<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The inauguration ceremony concluded with a grand dinner for all attendees, featuring live musical performances that added joy and celebration to the landmark occasion. The evening allowed dignitaries, innovators, and local leaders to connect and celebrate the spirit of progress and collaboration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a landmark moment for Vidarbha’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, Hon\u2019ble Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[202,212,192,201,144,131,213,210,36,191,16,205,195,209,208,207,204,198,194,31,197,27,206,214,29,196,188,215,190,186,200,187,199,193,122,189,211,203],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":496,"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470\/revisions\/496"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ictrd.org\/Publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}