Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan ji, Dr. Jitendra Singh ji, Shri Jayant Chaudhary ji, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar ji, my friend Shri Romesh Wadhwani ji and Dr. Ajay Kela ji who are connected through technology, all colleagues from the world of science, technology, and education, other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen!
Today, people from various fields connected with the government, academia, science, and research are present here in large numbers. This unity, this confluence, is what we call YUGM. A YUGM where all stakeholders related to the future tech of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) are gathered and engaged together. I believe that this event will further strengthen the efforts we are making to enhance Bharat’s innovation capacity and its role in deep-tech. Today marks the beginning of super hubs in AI, Intelligent Systems, and Biosciences, Biotechnology, Health & Medicine at IIT Kanpur and IIT Bombay. Today also marks the launch of the Wadhwani Innovation Network. A pledge has also been taken to advance research in collaboration with the National Research Foundation. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Wadhwani Foundation, our IITs, and all other stakeholders for this initiative. In particular, I commend my friend Romesh Wadhwani ji. The private and public sectors together have brought many positive changes to the country's education system due to your dedication and proactive efforts.
Friends,
Our scriptures say: ‘परं परोपकारार्थं यो जीवति स जीवति’, which means—he who lives for the service and welfare of others, truly lives. That is why we consider science and technology as a medium of service as well. When I see institutions like the Wadhwani Foundation in our country, when I witness the efforts of Romesh ji and his team, I feel joy and pride that we are advancing science and technology in the right direction in Bharat. We all know that Romesh ji has shaped his life through immense struggle and dedicated it to service. Just a few days after his birth, he had to face the horrors of Partition, was forced to leave his birthplace, contracted polio in early childhood, and from those difficult circumstances, he went on to build a vast business empire. This in itself is an extraordinary and inspiring life journey. And to dedicate such success to the education and research sector of Bharat, to the youth of Bharat, and to the bright future of Bharat—this is truly a motivating example. The Wadhwani Foundation is also doing significant work in school education, technology in Anganwadi services, and agri-tech. I have previously joined you all on the occasion of the establishment of the Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence. I am confident that in the times to come, the Wadhwani Foundation will continue to achieve many such milestones. My best wishes are with your organization and your initiatives.
Friends,
The future of any country depends on its youth. Therefore, it is essential that we prepare our youth for their future and for building a brighter future for Bharat. The country’s education system plays a major role in this. That is why we are modernizing the country’s education system to meet the needs of the 21st century. A new National Education Policy has been introduced in the country, developed with a focus on global standards in education. Since the launch of the new education policy, we are witnessing significant changes in the Indian education system. The National Curriculum Framework, learning-teaching materials, and new textbooks for classes 1 to 7 have already been prepared. Under PM e-Vidya and the DIKSHA platform, a ‘One Nation, One Digital Education Infrastructure’ has been created. This infrastructure is AI-based and scalable. It is being used to prepare textbooks in over 30 Indian languages and 7 foreign languages. Through the National Credit Framework, it has become easier for students to study multiple subjects simultaneously. This means that students in Bharat are now getting access to modern education, and new career pathways are opening up for them. To maintain momentum toward Bharat’s developmental goals, it is necessary to strengthen the country's research ecosystem. In the last decade, significant progress has been made in this direction, and necessary resources have been enhanced. In 2013–14, the gross expenditure on R&D was only 60,000 crore rupees. We have more than doubled it to over 1.25 lakh crore rupees. Several state-of-the-art research parks have been established across the country. Research and Development Cells have been set up in about 6,000 higher education institutions. Because of these efforts, a culture of innovation is growing rapidly in the country. In 2014, around 40,000 patents were filed in Bharat. That number has now increased to over 80,000. This shows how much support the country’s youth are getting from our intellectual property ecosystem. To further promote research culture, the National Research Foundation has been established with a budget of 50,000 crore rupees. The ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ initiative has reassured young people that the government understands their needs. This scheme has made access to world-class research journals easier for students pursuing higher education. The Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship has been introduced to ensure that talented individuals face no barriers in advancing their careers.
Friends,
As a result of these efforts, today’s youth are not just excelling in R&D— in fact, they have become R&D. And when I say they are R&D, I mean Ready and Disruptive! Bharat is setting new milestones in research across various sectors. Last year, Bharat commissioned the world’s longest Hyperloop test track. This 422-meter Hyperloop was developed at IIT Madras in collaboration with Indian Railways. Scientists at IISc Bangalore have developed a technology that can control light at the nanoscale. At the same institute, researchers have also developed ‘Brain on a Chip’ technology—capable of storing and processing data across more than 16,000 conduction states within a single molecular film! Just a few weeks ago, the country also developed its first indigenous MRI machine. These are just a few of the many path-breaking R&D achievements taking place in our universities. This is the youth power of a ‘Viksit Bharat’—Ready, Disruptive, and Transformative!
Friends,
University campuses in Bharat are becoming new dynamic centres of innovation—where the power of youth is driving breakthrough discoveries. Recently, in the Higher Education Impact Rankings, Bharat had the highest global representation, with over 90 universities ranked among 2,000 institutions from 125 countries. In 2014, Bharat had only 9 institutes and universities in the QS World Rankings. In 2025, that number has increased to 46. The number of Indian institutions ranked among the world’s top 500 higher education institutions has also seen a sharp rise in the last 10 years. Now, Indian institutions are opening campuses abroad—like IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi and IIT Madras in Tanzania. Preparations are underway to open an IIM Ahmedabad campus in Dubai. And it’s not just that our top institutions are going global; top global institutions are also coming to Bharat. The process of opening campuses of some of the world’s top universities in Bharat has already begun. This will boost academic exchange, foster collaboration in research, and give our students valuable exposure to cross-cultural learning.
Friends,
The trinity of Talent, Temperament, and Technology will transform Bharat’s future. To support this, we are providing children with the necessary exposure from an early age. Just now, our colleague Dharmendra ji elaborated on initiatives like Atal Tinkering Labs. So far, 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs have been established across the country. In this year’s Budget, the government has announced the opening of 50,000 more Atal Tinkering Labs. The PM Vidya Lakshmi Yojana has also been launched to provide financial support to students. We have also established internship cells in over 7,000 institutions so that students can convert their learning into hands-on experience. Every possible effort is being made to help youth develop new skills. This strength of our youth -- their talent, temperament, and technology -- will lead Bharat to the pinnacle of success.
Friends,
We have set a 25-year timeline to achieve the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’. Time is limited, and the goals are ambitious. I'm not saying this due to the current situation alone—but because of this, it’s crucial that the journey from idea to prototype to product happens in the shortest possible time. When we reduce the distance from lab to market, the results of research reach people faster. This also motivates researchers, as they see the direct impact and rewards of their work. It fuels the cycle of research, innovation, and value addition even further. To make this happen, it is essential that our entire research ecosystem—academic institutions, investors, and industry—stand by our researchers and guide them. Industry leaders can go a step further by mentoring youth, arranging funding, and co-developing new solutions. That is why the government is also accelerating efforts to simplify regulations and fast-track approvals.
Friends,
We must continuously promote AI, quantum computing, advanced analytics, space-tech, health-tech, and synthetic biology. Today, we are seeing Bharat emerge as one of the leading countries in AI development and adoption. To support this growth, the government has launched the India-AI Mission, which will help create world-class infrastructure, high-quality datasets, and cutting-edge research facilities. The number of AI Centres of Excellence in the country is also being increased. These Centres of Excellence are being propelled by collaboration among Bharat’s premier institutions, industries, and start-ups. We are working with the vision of “Make AI in India”, and our goal is to “Make AI work for India.” In this year’s Budget, we have decided to increase the number of seats and capacity in IITs. Several Meditech—that is, medical plus technology—courses have been introduced with the collaboration of IITs and AIIMS. We must complete this journey within time. In every future technology, Bharat must feature among the best in the world. Through initiatives like YUGM, we can bring new energy to these efforts. With this joint initiative by the Ministry of Education and the Wadhwani Foundation, we have the potential to transform the innovation landscape of the country. Today’s event will be a great help in furthering that mission. Once again, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Wadhwani Foundation for the YUGM initiative. I extend my best wishes to my friend Romesh ji.
Thank you very much.
Namaskar!
