Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has asked the industry and other potential financiers to encourage and support innovators in their creative endeavours. Speaking at an award function to honour innovators in New Delhi today, Mr Ahluwalia emphasized the need for industry players to help innovators market and sell their products to large corporations. He mentioned that for the first time, the government has included a separate chapter on innovation in the 12th Five Year Plan for its significant role in spurring economic growth.Our correspondent reports, recognizing the importance of innovation, President Pranab Mukherjee has declared the present decade as the decade of innovation, with a focus oninclusive growth.Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology Dr T Ramasami stressed the need for creating an environment to provide national value to innovations and convert them into knowledge and wealth. He said the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013 aims to trigger an ecosystem for innovative abilities, produce and nurture talent in science and stimulate research in universities.