The Indian government has set an ambitious goal of making technology contribute 20-25% of the nation&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s GDP by 2025, according to India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. In a virtual address to the annual conference of the Global Indian Technology Professionals Association, Chandrasekhar highlighted the significant presence and momentum of Indian startups and innovators in various sectors of the tech industry.
The digital economy in India has been expanding and diversifying over the past nine years, with Indian entrepreneurs and startups being present in almost every aspect of the tech sector. From semiconductors to micro-electronics, AI to blockchain, high-performance computing languages to consumer internet, Indian innovators have made their mark. Chandrasekhar emphasized that Indian startups and enterprises have been driving the growth of the Indian innovation economy, which has increased from 4-5% in 2014 to 10% today.
The Indian government&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s target is to make technology and the digital economy account for 20% of the total GDP by 2025-2026. This would mean technology contributing around $1 trillion to India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s GDP, which is estimated to grow at a rate of 8% to 7.5% per annum. Prime Minister Modi&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s government is focused on achieving this goal and sees technology as a crucial driver of India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s economic growth.
Chandrasekhar described artificial intelligence (AI) as a kinetic enabler of the digital economy. He highlighted the importance of AI in building upon the progress made by startups and the innovation ecosystem in areas such as the consumer internet and the data economy. The Indian government has launched the India AI program, which involves a partnership between the government, academic institutions, startups, and the industry. This partnership aims to develop AI technologies and solutions tailored for India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s needs. The government has also established the India Datasets program, providing diverse and extensive datasets for research and startups in India.
Furthermore, the Indian government is funding three centers of excellence for AI. These centers will serve as hubs for collaboration between academic institutions, universities, colleges, and industries. They will focus on areas such as governance, healthcare, and language. Chandrasekhar emphasized that AI can play a transformative role in improving decision-making and governance, leading to more targeted and intelligent schemes and services.
India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s success in using technology and platforms to transform governance has been a significant achievement of Prime Minister Modi&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s government. Chandrasekhar highlighted the India stack, a set of platforms and tools that have revolutionized governance in India. This has enabled the government to reach citizens more efficiently, eliminate corruption and ensure timely delivery of government benefits to individuals&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217; bank accounts. The India stack has gained recognition and interest from countries around the world and multilateral agencies.
One of the areas of focus for AI in India is healthcare, given the country&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s diverse population and the importance of providing quality healthcare services to all. Chandrasekhar also emphasized the need to expand internet access in India to ensure that more people, especially those in rural areas, can benefit from the digital economy. The government aims to increase the number of internet users in India from the current 830 million to 1.2 billion by 2025, making India the largest connected nation on the global internet.
In addition to these efforts, the Indian government is also working on establishing a data management office and AI compute infrastructure to support the development and utilization of AI technologies in the country.
Overall, India is making significant strides in leveraging technology and AI to drive economic growth, improve governance, and provide better services to its citizens. The government&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s focus on making technology a significant contributor to the country&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPTYyZmppckFzalN3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrVVVWMVdYUTVlV0pXVmpVNVptWTJXa1J4YlV4alp6MDk-8217;s GDP reflects its commitment to fostering innovation and digital transformation. With the support of Indian entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators, India is poised to become a global leader in the technology sector.
