India is becoming a technology generator from a technology consumer: Minister Vaishnaw

New Delhi, Nov 30: From technology consumers, India is becoming technology generators, thereby moving out of consumer-based thinking, Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.

"Last 8 years' journey has seen a real maturing of the start-up ecosystem. Moving out of consumer-based thinking, a clear trend of technology development among start-ups is seen today," the Union IT Minister said while addressing a national conclave on start-ups organized in New Delhi on Wednesday. "From becoming technology consumers, we're becoming technology generators," Vaishnaw added.

The minister said that the world-class train project was meant to go to Japan, Germany, and France, but the Prime Minister gave directions to manufacture in India. "The Prime Minister gave very clear directions that Indian brains will design world-class trains and Indian hands will manufacture them. This led to the manufacturing of the 'Vande Bharat' train in India," the Union Minister said.

10 million additional jobs can be created in electronics and BPO sector in two years
While inaugurating the National Level Start-up Initiative organized by the Software Technology Park of India (STPI) and Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC), today, the Minister said that the electronics sector alone could create additional jobs between 2.5 - 3 million and the BPO sector could make available 8 million jobs in the coming two years, which will be a substantial addition to the existing level of employment, according to a statement from the ministry.

Vaishnaw referred to three megatrends that are unfolding in the country as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Foremost among them is determination to emerge as the technology leader powered by the country's talent pool, ingenuity, high level of computer literacy, and commitment to excel.

"We have now an ecosystem that gives importance to merit and talent, that can power innovations and disruptions," he said, adding that such a dispensation never existed before. There is a visible drive to proliferate frontier technologies in areas like telecom, electronics, railways, and other related areas to help India to emerge as a technology leader.