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PM delivers keynote address at The Sydney Dialogue, speaks on India’s technology evolution and revolution

Published By : Admin | November 18, 2021 | 09:18 IST
Lists five important transitions taking place in India
“The biggest strength of democracy is openness. At the same time, we should not allow a few vested interests to misuse this openness”
““India's digital revolution is rooted in our democracy, our demography, and the scale of our economy”
“We use data as a source of empowerment of people. India has unmatched experience in doing this in a democratic framework with strong guarantees of individual rights”
“India's democratic traditions are old; its modern institutions are strong. And, we have always believed in the world as one family”
Gives a roadmap for democracies to work together that recognizes national rights and, at the same time, promote trade, investment and larger public good
“It is important that all democratic nations work together on crypto-currency and ensure it does not end up in wrong hands, which can spoil our youth”

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi delivered the keynote at the inaugural Sydney Dialogue via video conferencing today. Shri Modi spoke on the theme of India’s technology evolution and revolution. The address was preceded by introductory remarks by the Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Scott Morrison.

The Prime Minister, Shri Modi noted recognition for India's central role in the Indo Pacific region and in the emerging digital world. Noting the benefits of digital age, the Prime Minister also said that the world also faces new risks and new forms of conflicts across diverse threats from sea-bed to cyber to space. “The biggest strength of democracy is openness. At the same time, we should not allow a few vested interests to misuse this openness”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said, as a democracy and a digital leader, India is ready to work with partners for shared prosperity and security. “India's digital revolution is rooted in our democracy, our demography, and the scale of our economy. It is powered by enterprise and innovation of our youth. We are turning the challenges of the past into an opportunity to take a leap into the future”

The Prime Minister listed five important transitions taking place in India. One, the world's most extensive public information infrastructure being built in India. Over 1.3 billion Indians have a unique digital identity, six hundred thousand villages will soon be connected with broadband and the world's most efficient payment infrastructure, the UPI. Two, use of digital technology for governance, inclusion, empowerment, connectivity, delivery of benefits and welfare. Three, India has the world's third largest and fastest growing Startup Eco-system. Four, India's industry and services sectors, even agriculture, are undergoing massive digital transformation. Five, there is a large effort to prepare India for the future. “We are investing in developing indigenous capabilities in telecom technology such as 5G and 6G. India is one of the leading nations in artificial intelligence and machine learning, especially in human-centred and ethical use of artificial intelligence. We are developing strong capabilities in Cloud platforms and cloud computing”, he added.

Talking about the resilience and digital sovereignty of India, the Prime Minister said “we are focusing on hardware. We are preparing a package of incentives to become a key manufacturer of semi-conductors. Our production linked incentive schemes in electronics and telecom are already attracting local and global players to set up base in India”. He also asserted India’s commitment to data protection, privacy and security. “At the same time, we use data as a source of empowerment of people. India has unmatched experience in doing this in a democratic framework with strong guarantees of individual rights”, said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister said India’s contribution in coping with the Y2K problem and it offering CoWin platform to the world as open source software are examples of India’s values and vision. “India's democratic traditions are old; its modern institutions are strong. And, we have always believed in the world as one family”, he said.

Shri Modi said, India's extensive experience with use of technology and policy for public good, inclusive development and social empowerment can be of great help to the developing world. “We can work together to empower nations and their people, and prepare them for the opportunities of this century”, he remarked.

Giving a roadmap for democracies to work together, Shri Modi called for a collaborative framework “to invest together in research and development in future technology; To develop trusted manufacturing base and trusted supply chains; To deepen intelligence and operational cooperation on cyber security, protect critical information infrastructure; To prevent manipulation of public opinions; To develop technical and governance standards and norms consistent with our democratic values; and, To create standards and norms for data governance and for cross-border flow that protect and secure data.” He said emerging framework “should also recognise national rights and, at the same time, promote trade, investment and larger public good”.

In this context he cited the example of crypto-currency and said “It is important that all democratic nations work together on this and ensure it does not end up in wrong hands, which can spoil our youth”.

Click here to read PM's speech

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Friends,

In this series of post-budget webinars, today marks the fourth and most significant one. Fulfilling aspirations of people is not merely a subject of discussion-it is the core objective of this budget and the firm resolve of this government. Education, Skill, Health, Tourism, Sports, and Culture are fundamental sectors that serve as the major means of fulfilling these aspirations. Therefore, in this webinar, we are deliberating on these crucial dimensions. For the implementation of budget announcements, the thoughts and suggestions of all experts, policymakers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and my young companions present here are extremely important. I warmly welcome and greet you all in this fourth session of the budget webinar.

Friends,

India today is working on a vast vision for preventive and holistic health. In recent years, the country’s health infrastructure has been strengthened, with hundreds of new medical colleges opening across districts. Through the Ayushman Bharat scheme and wellness centers, healthcare services have expanded to villages nationwide. Our yoga and Ayurveda are gaining popularity across the world. You will certainly discuss various aspects of this, but I would like to highlight one important subject-the care economy. In the coming decade, the number of senior citizens in the country will rise rapidly. Moreover, even today, many countries across the world face a huge demand for caregivers. Therefore, in the health sector, new skill-based employment opportunities are emerging for millions of youth. I urge the health sector experts present in this webinar to suggest new training models and partnerships so that the training ecosystem in the country can be further strengthened.

Friends,

Closely related to this is the subject of telemedicine. Today, a large number of people in remote areas are benefiting from it, and trust in it is steadily growing. However, I believe there is still a great need to increase awareness and ease of access in this area.

Friends,

Over the past decade, a major transformation has taken place in the mindset of the country. Today, beyond the boundaries of villages, towns, and cities, every young Indian wants to do something new, driven by the spirit to achieve. This new mindset of the new generation is the nation’s greatest strength, its most valuable capital for a bright future. To capitalize on this, we must continuously modernize and upgrade our education system. The new education policy has laid the necessary foundation for this. Now, it is essential that our curriculum remains updated according to market needs! We must accelerate the process of linking our education system with the real-world economy. We need to place greater focus on subjects like AI and automation, digital economy, and design-driven manufacturing.

Friends,

The country is consistently working to connect education with employment and enterprise. New models like university townships reflect this approach. Today, India is promoting the A.V.G.C. sector-Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics. India is moving towards an innovation-driven economy. Many academicians and academic institutions are connected to this webinar today. I urge you to deliberate on developing your campuses as centers of industry collaboration and research-driven learning. This will provide students with real-world exposure and strengthen the skill ecosystem.

Friends,

A very important subject is STEM-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is a matter of great pride that the number of daughters showing interest in STEM subjects is steadily increasing in our country. As we prepare for futuristic technologies, it is crucial that no daughter is held back due to lack of opportunities. In this webinar, you must discuss this direction. We need to place greater emphasis on increasing women’s participation. We must build a research ecosystem where young researchers have full opportunities to experiment and work on new ideas.

Friends,

Youth power becomes national power only when it is healthy, disciplined, and full of self-confidence. That is why, in recent years, sports have been seen as an important stream of national development. Initiatives like Khelo India have infused new energy into the sports ecosystem of the country. Sports infrastructure is being strengthened across the nation. In this webinar, you must deliberate on some key questions: How can talent be identified more accurately even from small towns and villages? How can structured financial support for thousands of athletes be improved? And thirdly, how can our sports bodies be made more professional? In the coming years, the Commonwealth Games will be held in India, and the country is striving to host the Olympics. In such a scenario, we must identify young athletes at an early age and nurture them, only then will India be able to raise its flag high in international competitions.

Friends,

Tourism and culture play a major role in creating new employment opportunities. When tourism grows in a place, the branding of that location or city also increases. This accelerates the overall development of that city. India has no shortage of historical sites. But for a long time, tourism remained confined to a few select destinations. Now, we are focusing on developing tourist destinations across every corner of the country.

Friends,

In this webinar, you must discuss a holistic approach to strengthening India’s tourism ecosystem. Your suggestions on trained guides, hospitality skills, digital connectivity, community participation, cleanliness, tourism, and related subjects will be very important.

Friends,

When institutions, industry, and academia work together, the pace of transformation accelerates. I am confident that this series of post-budget webinars will provide concrete direction for the future. Such efforts will further strengthen the foundation of a developed India. And friends, it is a very pleasant experience that due to the tradition of webinars, after the budget and especially during implementation, I have been told that this year, lakhs of people connected to these subjects-experts, beneficiaries, and those involved in the system-have actively participated in the webinars. Our officials have informed me that excellent and practical suggestions are coming in. This means not only solutions to problems but also new energy and new momentum to move forward with confidence. I say this is a very delightful experience of the webinars. All those who participated in these webinars are worthy of appreciation and gratitude. Once again, I extend my best wishes and heartfelt thanks to all of you.

Namaskar!