Prime Minister Modi delivers speech at Sydney Dialogue and talks about India’s technological development and revolution

India

oi-Prakash KL

New Delhi, November 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the opening speech of the Sydney Inaugural Dialogue on Thursday via video conference where he spoke on the topic of India’s technological development and revolution. The address was preceded by introductory remarks by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The greatest strength of democracy is openness
The Prime Minister noted the recognition of India’s central role in the Indo-Pacific region and in the emerging digital world. Noting the benefits of the digital age, the Prime Minister also said that the world is also facing new risks and new forms of conflict in the face of various threats, from the seabed to cyberspace to outer space. “The greatest strength of democracy is openness. At the same time, we must not allow a few special interests to abuse this openness,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister affirmed that India is ready for India to be ready to work with partners for shared prosperity and security as a democracy and digital leader. “India’s digital revolution is rooted in our democracy, our demographics and the scale of our economy. It is fueled by the business and innovation of our youth. We turn the challenges of the past into an opportunity to leap into the future ”

5 important transitions taking place in India
Listing five important transitions taking place in India, Modi said, “First, we are building the most extensive public information infrastructure in the world. Over 1.3 billion Indians have a unique digital identity. We are on the verge of connecting six hundred thousand villages with broadband. . We have built the world’s most efficient payment infrastructure, UPI. Over 800 million Indians use the Internet, 750 million use smartphones. We are one of the biggest consumers of data per capita and have one of the cheapest data in the world. Second, we are transforming people’s lives using digital technology for governance, inclusion, empowerment, connectivity, benefit delivery and well-being.

Everyone has heard of the financial inclusion, banking and digital payment revolution in India. Recently, we have used the technology to deliver over 1.1 billion doses of vaccine across the vast geography of India using the ArogyaSetu and Cowin platforms. We are also building a national digital health mission for affordable and universal healthcare for our billion people. Our One Nation, One Card will benefit hundreds of millions of workers across the country. Third, India has the third largest startup ecosystem in the world and the fastest growing. New unicorns arrive every few weeks. They provide solutions to everything from health and education to national security.

The Prime Minister asserted that industries, service sectors and agriculture are undergoing a digital transformation. Modi said: “We are also using digital technology for clean energy transition, resource conversion and biodiversity protection. Five, there is a big effort to prepare India for the future. We invest in the development of local capacities in telecommunications technology such as 5G and 6G. India is one of the leading countries in artificial intelligence and machine learning, especially in the ethical and human-centered use of artificial intelligence. We are building strong capabilities in cloud platforms and cloud computing. This is the key to resilience and digital sovereignty. . We develop world-class capabilities in quantum computing. “

He stressed that the Indian space program is a vital element of economy and security. “It is now open to innovation and private sector investment. India is already a major hub for providing cybersecurity solutions and services to businesses around the world. We have set up a working group with our industry to make India a global cybersecurity hub. We benefit from our skills and our global trust. And now we are focusing on the hardware. We are preparing a set of incentives to become a key semiconductor manufacturer. Our production-related incentive programs in electronics and telecommunications are already attracting local and global players to establish themselves in India, ”he added.

Contribution from India
Modi spoke about India’s contribution to tackling the year 2000 problem and the country’s CoWin open source platform to the world. “India’s democratic traditions are old; its modern institutions are strong. And we have always believed in the world as one family, ”he said.

The Prime Minister said India’s vast experience in using technology and policies for the 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 peoples, and prepare them for the opportunities of this century,” he noted.

A roadmap for democracies to work together
Modi called for a collaborative framework “to invest together in research and development of future technologies; develop a reliable manufacturing base and supply chains; deepen intelligence and operational cooperation on cybersecurity, protect critical information infrastructures; prevent manipulation of public opinion; Develop technical and governance standards and norms compatible with our democratic values; and, Create standards and norms for data governance and for cross-border flows that protect and secure data. He said the new framework “should also recognize national rights and, at the same time, promote trade, investment and the wider public good.”

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

Article first published: Thursday, November 18, 2021, 10:48 a.m. [IST]