Panchkula, Dec. 9 -- Union minister for power, housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal Khattar highlighted India's rapid stride towards an innovation driven future, particularly in 6G and artificial intelligence (AI), on Day 3 of the India International Science Festival (IISF) in Panchkula on Monday. Khattar, while addressing the "New Age Technologies-Vision 2047" panel discussion,emphasised the joint responsibility of scientists and students to promote and responsibly implement new technologies for societal benefit. He noted that AI was the key technology of the future, offering effective solutions across all sectors. Khattar stressed AI's crucial role in the energy and housing sectors. "In energy, AI can lead to significant cost reductions through applications like smart metering and efficient operation of electrical equipment. For housing, it can enhance living standards by designing homes that naturally maintain comfortable temperatures year round," he said. Further promoting innovation, the minister announced the Government of India's launch of the Rs.1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. This initiative, overseen by professional fund managers under the National Research Foundation (NRF), aims to boost private sector R&D in strategic areas like AI, quantum computing, clean energy and biotechnology, positioning India as a global innovation hub. Also present on the occasion were Dr V Narayanan, secretary, department of space; Dr Suryachandra Rao, director, IITM, Pune; Dr Shantanu Bhattacharya, director, CSIR-CSIO, Chandigarh, and other panellists. The 11th edition of IISF is being organised by the Union ministry of earth sciences in collaboration with departments of science & technology, biotechnology, space, atomic energy, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and in association with Vijnana Bharati. The final day of the four-day festival will focus on women-led development in science and technology, with sessions featuring female leaders from the fields of science, civil services, defence, research and academics....