NEW DELHI, August 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday underscored technology and innovation as central pillars of India’s aspiration to become a developed nation, articulating a vision that includes positioning the country as a global innovation hub and imparting Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills to one crore youth within the next year.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the Prime Minister, addressing the nation on the 80th Independence Day, identified leadership in emerging technologies such as AI, quantum computing, space, robotics, and data centres as crucial for India’s future growth.
As part of the seven-point ‘Viksit Bharat’ framework, aimed at achieving developed nation status by 2047, Prime Minister Modi designated technology and innovation as the third ‘shakti’ within the ‘Sapta Dhara’ vision. He emphasized that rapid advancements in these fields present significant opportunities for India to leverage.
“Today, the world is one of AI, quantum, space, robotics and data centres. New areas have opened up,” the Prime Minister stated, highlighting the evolving global technological landscape.
Prime Minister Modi called for India to proactively respond to the challenges posed by new technologies by becoming a primary source of innovation, rather than solely a consumer market. “We must become a global hub for innovation,” he reiterated.
He cited India’s successful implementation of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and digital public infrastructure as examples of the nation’s capability. Moving forward, he stressed the need for India to establish itself as a formidable force in ‘digital public technologies’ and to lead in next-generation communication technologies. The goal, he said, is to ensure ‘Made-in-India’ 6G technology reaches every corner of the country.
A significant focus of the Prime Minister’s address was the preparation of India’s youth for an AI-driven economy. He announced a comprehensive skilling initiative, stating, “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.”
The Prime Minister also highlighted the growing importance of energy security for India’s technological ambitions, noting the substantial electricity requirements for chips, AI, and data centres. He identified nuclear energy as a critical component, with the nation targeting 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047 and planning the commissioning of five new reactors in the current decade.
Cybersecurity was also identified as a growing concern for households and a domain offering opportunities for Indian youth to contribute both nationally and globally. Prime Minister Modi also touched upon the evolving nature of warfare, suggesting that modern conflicts might target critical infrastructure like refineries, banks, and data centres.
He mentioned that ‘Mission Sudarshan Chakra’ is progressing rapidly and noted a significant increase in India’s defence exports, which have risen nearly 50-fold. The Prime Minister urged Indian technology companies to aim for global leadership and to cultivate indigenous brands that achieve worldwide recognition and become synonymous with India’s identity.
To foster this technological drive from an early age, the government is actively promoting initiatives such as ‘Atal Tinkering Labs,’ with over 10,000 established, and is expanding the startup ecosystem. Prime Minister Modi also lauded the achievements of young Indians in the space sector, referencing the successful launch of satellites and rockets by teams with an average age of 28. He specifically pointed to Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 as India’s first privately developed rocket to reach orbit, marking a historic milestone for the country’s private space industry and commercial launch capabilities.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
