More creative minds will transform India into a developed nation faster, former President Abdul Kalam said on Tuesday.
"Higher the number of creative minds, the faster India will transform into a developed nation," he told participants of "Imagine and Innovate", a contest for teens organised by the CII in Chennai.
"Invention and discoveries have emanated from creative minds that have been constantly working and imaging the outcome in the mind. With imaging and constant effort, all the forces of the universe work for that inspired mind, thereby leading to inventions or discoveries," he said.
He said kindling young minds through a contest was an important societal mission, that could help find solution to rural and urban real life problems faced by the society.
To a query from a student whether violence was the only way to find solution for defending the country, he said: "We have ruled the country only for 600 years and were under yoke of the foreign domination for the rest of the years. When countries around us are weaponised we should have weapons to defend ourselves."
He exhorted students to become employment generators and not employment seekers.
'Imagine and innovate' brought together 1,500 students from 18 districts across Tamil Nadu and around 297 students participated in its final phase.
The contest witnessed students from government and government aided schools submitting projects in the area of agriculture, horticulture, agro allied invention, waste management, water shed management, disaster management, infrastructure and connectivity.