Build solutions for the world: PM to techies at Bengaluru summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Lauding the Indian IT sector for adapting to the new norm of working from home or for that matter from anywhere amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged the techies to build tech solutions to benefit the entire world.

"The Indian IT industry should design and develop technology solutions that can be deployed worldwide and used globally," said Modi after inaugurating the 23rd edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2020 through a video conference from New Delhi.

Noting that the potential of the country's youth was endless to harness digital technology, the prime minister said India was uniquely positioned to leap forward in the information era.

"We have the best minds as well as the biggest market. Our local tech solutions have the potential to go global. It is time we give our best to the youth and leverage them," Modi said in his 20-minute address through the virtual mode.

Asserting that his government's policy decisions were aimed at liberalising the IT industry further, Modi said the burden of compliance had been eased for the sector recently and allowed the sector to work from home or anywhere.

"We have always engaged with the stakeholders in the IT industry to chart out future-proof policy frameworks," reminded Modi.

Drawing a parallel between the industrial era and the information era, Modi said in the former, the first-mover advantage was everything, while in the latter, the best-mover mattered more than the first-mover.

"Anyone can build a product any time that disrupts all equations in the market," Modi pointed out.

Observing that achievements of the industrial era were in the rear-view mirror, the prime minister said the country was in the middle of the information era.

"Future is coming sooner than anticipated. In the industrial era, change was linear. In the information era, change is disruptive," Modi noted.

In technology, as the way ahead lies in learning and growing together, Modi said a number of incubation centres were opening up across the country.

"In the last couple of years, a culture of hackathons has growing across the country. I too attended one of them," he quipped.

Leveraging the digital technology, Modi flagged off the 3-day summit through the virtual world, which included Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Swiss Confederation vice-president Guy Parmelin.

"Thanks to digital technology, India has been able to scale up faster in the service delivery to people across the country. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has been able to help citizens through Ayushman Bharat for medical assistance efficiently thanks," said Modi.

Recalling that the Union government had started the Digital India initiative 5 years ago to transform a citizen's life in terms of ease of work and service delivery, the prime minister said the flagship programme had become a way of life in the country.

"Our resilient technology industry was able to overcome difficulties caused by the pandemic and enabled employees to work from home and from anywhere. This has become a new norm and is going to stay. We will see a high amount of tech adoption in education, agriculture and other sectors," asserted Modi.

Noting that India had an advantage in innovation, the prime minister said he was confident that the Indian IT sector would keep the country proud with the talent and zeal of its techies to innovate.

"Through technology, we have enhanced human dignity. Crores of farmers receive monetary support in a click. At the peak of the lockdown, it was technology that ensured that our poor received proper and quick assistance. The scale of this relief has few parallels," added Modi.

Union IT and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, state Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, state Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar and other dignitaries and invitees participated in the inaugural session of the summit.

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