Text of PM’s address at the Bengaluru Tech Summit
Leaders of the tech world, international delegates, and friends,
एल्लारिगू नमस्कारा Welcome to India! नम्म कन्नडा नाडिगे स्वागता, नम्म बेन्गलुरिगे स्वागता.
I am delighted to address the Bengaluru Tech summit once again. I am sure you all are loving the warm people and vibrant culture of Karnataka.
Friends,
Bengaluru is the home of technology and thought leadership. It is an inclusive city. It is also an innovative city. For many years, Bengaluru is number one in India’s Innovation Index.
Friends,
India’s technology and innovation have already impressed the world. But the future will be much bigger than our present. Because India has: Innovative youth and increasing tech access.
Friends,
The power of India’s youth is known across the world. They have ensured tech globalisation and talent globalisation. Healthcare, management, finance – you will find young Indians leading many domains. We are using our talent for global good. Even in India, their impact is being seen. India jumped to the 40th rank in the Global Innovation Index this year. In 2015, we were ranked 81! The number of unicorn start-ups in India has doubled since 2021! We are now the 3rd largest start-up hub in the world. We have over 81,000 recognised startups. There are hundreds of international companies that have R&D centres in India. This is due to India’s talent pool.
Friends,
Indian youth are being empowered by increasing tech access. A mobile and data revolution is happening in the country. In the last 8 years, Broadband connections rose from 60 million to 810 million, Smartphone users went from 150 million to 750 million. The growth of the internet is faster in rural areas than in urban areas. A new demographic is being connected to the information superhighway.
Friends,
For a long time, technology was seen as an exclusive domain. It was said to be only for the high and mighty. But India has shown how to democratise technology. India has also shown how to give tech a human touch. In India, technology is a force of equality and empowerment. The world’s largest health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat provides a safety net for nearly 200 million families. It means, about 600 million people! This programme is run based on a tech platform. India ran the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccine drive. It was run through a tech-based platform called COWIN. Let us go from the health sector to education.
