New Delhi, Aug 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday put technology and innovation at the heart of India’s growth ambitions, calling for leadership in emerging technologies and announcing AI skilling for one crore youth over the next one year.
Addressing the nation on the 80th Independence Day, Modi said new frontiers in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space, robotics and data centres are opening up rapidly, and stressed the need for the country to take the lead in technology and innovation.
Outlining a seven-point framework for ‘Viksit Bharat’ – India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047 – the PM identified technology and innovation as the third ‘shakti’ of the “Sapta Dhara” vision, saying rapid advances in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, space, robotics and data centres are creating new opportunities.
“Today, the world is one of AI, quantum, space, robotics and data centres. New areas have opened up,” the prime minister said.
Modi further said India must respond to the challenges posed by emerging technologies by becoming a global innovation hub rather than merely a market for the world.
“We must become a global hub for innovation”, he emphasised.
Modi said India had already demonstrated, to the world, its capabilities in UPI and digital public infrastructure, and now needs to emerge as a force in ‘digital public technologies’.
“India must lead in next-generation communications technology. Made-in-India 6G should reach every corner, and that should be our goal,” he said.
Placing a strong emphasis on preparing India’s youth for the artificial intelligence-driven economy, Modi announced a large-scale skilling push.
“In the coming one year, we will work to provide AI skills training to one crore youth, so that India’s youth can lead in the AI era,” Modi said.
The PM noted that energy security was becoming increasingly critical to India’s technological ambitions, with chips, AI and data centres requiring vast amounts of electricity.
He identified nuclear energy as a key component of energy security, and said the country is targeting 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, and plans to commission five new reactors this decade.
Modi said cybersecurity was becoming a concern for every household.
It is a domain of defence that offers an opportunity to harness the capabilities of India’s youth, both for the country and the world, he pointed out.
The prime minister also pointed to the changing nature of warfare, saying modern conflicts could target critical infrastructure such as refineries, banks and data centres rather than remain confined to borders.
He said work on ‘Mission Sudarshan Chakra’ is progressing rapidly, and further added India’s defence exports had risen nearly 50-fold.
India’s technology companies should aspire to become global leaders, the PM said while also calling for creation of homegrown brands that gain worldwide recognition and become synonymous with the country’s identity.
Modi said the government is seeking to draw young Indians towards technology from an early age, pointing to more than 10,000 ‘Atal Tinkering Labs’ and the expansion of the startup ecosystem, itself.
He also highlighted the achievements by young Indians in launching satellites and rockets.
“You may have seen how young Indians, averaging just 28 years of age, achieved a global first: they successfully launched their own satellite and rocket on their very first attempt, accomplishing a truly monumental feat,” he said.
Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 recently became India’s first privately-developed rocket to successfully reach orbit, marking a historic milestone for the country’s private space sector and commercial launch capabilities.
