France: India is no longer just a consumer of global solutions, but a major contributor to them, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday while laying out New Delhi’s vision for developing human-centric innovation and technologies.
The prime minister made the comments at the inauguration of the ‘Bharat Innovates’ event in presence of French President Emmanuel Macron in this Mediterranean French city.
“India has demonstrated that innovation and inclusion are not contradictory but complementary. This means that the greatness of any innovation lies not merely in its evaluation, but in its human impact,” he said at the event which brought together top innovation startups from India, France and some other countries.
“Until a decade ago, the world viewed India as a nation that adopted technology. Today, India is emerging as a technology provider,” Modi said.
“Moreover, the innovations India creates and the solutions it offers benefit a vast segment of humanity. This is precisely the goal of ‘Bharat Innovates’,” he said.
The prime minister also underlined the importance of technologies that are inclusive and human-centric. “Today, the world is looking towards technologies that are reliable, inclusive, human-centric, and aimed at the global good. In such times, India’s priority is technology for humanity, human-centric innovation,” he said.
The prime minister also highlighted his government’s reform initiatives in several key sectors including high-technology, nuclear energy, defence and innovation. “This momentum of reform will not stop; it will continue. And the number of startups emerging from India will also continue to multiply manifold.”
Modi also delved into the importance of critical technologies for humanity even as he touched upon the impact of conflicts and various disruptions.
“This decade is one of both disruption and development for the world. Amidst conflicts and the escalating impact of climate change, the world is undergoing a period of unprecedented upheaval,” he said.
“Yet, while humanity faces numerous challenges today, opportunities also abound.
Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, space technologies, and advanced materials are the technologies that will shape the future of humanity. These represent the next chapter of human civilization,” he said.
Modi said every technological revolution offers humanity a new opportunity, and every opportunity brings with it a new responsibility.
“Bharat Innovates is an invitation to the world to co-create the next chapter of global innovation with India,” the prime minister, who landed in Nice last night, said.
Modi further said India is innovating for a sustainable future. “India is innovating for the world,” he said, adding innovation is in the country’s DNA.
“India has emerged not as a consumer of solutions but as a contributor to solutions in the world,” he noted.
The prime minister also spoke about the strength of India-France relations. “India and France have a special partnership; it has connection, conviction, innovation, inspiration and shared vision,” he said.
“And building upon the foundation of this relationship, we have jointly launched new initiatives over the years. We have given direction to new ideas. And we have made every possible effort to find solutions to global challenges,” he said.
In his address at the event, President Macron said France respects the Make-in-India initiative and that Paris has been part of it in diverse sectors. Describing India as a “country of innovation”, he said New Delhi and Paris have a “true partnership” in critical sectors like AI and climate change.
There is scope to expand bilateral cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector, including in the area of Small Modular Reactors, he said.
