Chennai, Feb 28 (IANS): Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar on Tuesday said that students have now become employment providers and entrepreneurs instead of job-seekers.

The Vice-President was speaking at a function in Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) after inaugurating a new innovation facility at the premier institute.

The new centre, IIT-Madras Centre for Innovation is dedicated to supporting and encourage Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) activities of students and researchers.

The Vice-President in his inaugural speech said that alumni is the strength of an institution and that the alumni of institutions will take the country towards the path of growth.

Dhankar also said that the country has 80,000 start-ups and that this was the third largest in the world. The Vice-President praised the IIT-Madras and other similar institutions for their functioning over the years.

He also said that India has become the third largest economy in the world and that now when India speaks world was listening.

The Sudha and Shankar Innovation hub at IIT-Madras is the first architect-designed space dedicated to the student-led activities.