The Government is planning to set up 14 innovation universities to establish global benchmarks for excellence in higher education and build an ecosystem of innovations and research.

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said this while delivering the inaugural address of the India-UK Round Table on Innovation in New Delhi today.

Mr Sibal said that these universities will be autonomous in designing their own knowledge diciplines, admission criteria, academic programmes and merit system.

He said these universities will have to work to attain highest standards of quality and provide manpower in the form of professionals and scientists needed to support National Innovation Council. Besides this, cluster innovation centres are also being planned in this area.

The minister sought collaboration from UK in both the proposed innovation universities and clusters . Mr Sibal underlined the need for private investment in higher educational institutes to encourage innovations.

He said that the period between 2010-2020 has been declared as the 'decade of innovation' to contribute towards realising the Vision of India as an Innovation Hot Spot.