Seek out new talent, build a continuous stream of teachers and become employment generators instead of employment seekers. These were some of the many ideas that President Abdul Kalam put forth in his inaugural address to over 5,000 talented minds from across the globe attending PanIIT 2006, the three-day conference of IIT alumni that began today at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex.

The greatest challenge, Kalam said, for PanIITians and the nation is to find a mechanism “to identify hidden Ramanujans beyond its selection process and nurture them for the world.”

“It’s those needles in the haystack that require your attention today,” he said in the presence of several dignitaries, including Governor SM Krishna and Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Calling upon IITians to create a consortium to prepare a plan of action for “inculcating innovation among engineering graduates in the country”, Kalam exhorted IITs to work out “strategies for leveraging technology to address the country’s problems”.

Attended by alumni from across the world, PanIIT has “Inspire, Involve and Transform India” as its theme. Among the other speakers today were George Soros, Shashi Tharoor and Shri Shri Ravi Shankar. A short film on IIIT alumnus, Satyendra Dubey, made by Mumbai-based Minnie Vaid was also screened. But Kalam missed it as his flight was delayed.