Technology and talent are two pillars of India’s development journey: PM Modi

New Delhi, Oct 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that technology and talent are the two pillars that are key to India's development journey and technology is an agent of inclusion.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the UN World Geospatial Information Congress (UNWGIC) in Hyderabad, where India will showcase the strides it has made in the sector over the past several years.

Speaking at the occasion, the PM said, "Technology and talent are the two pillars that are key to India's development journey. Technology brings transformation."

He cited the example of JAM trinity which has delivered welfare benefits to 800 million people seamlessly and of the tech platform that powered the world's largest vaccination drive. "In India, technology is not an agent of exclusion. It is an agent of inclusion," the PM said.

The Prime Minister highlighted the role of geospatial technology in driving inclusion and progress. The role of technology in schemes like SVAMITVA and housing, and the outcomes in terms of property ownership and women empowerment, have a direct impact on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals on poverty and gender equality, the Prime Minister emphasized. The PM GatiShakti Master Plan is being powered by geo-spatial technology, as is the Digital Ocean platform, he added. India has already set an example in sharing the benefits of geo-spatial technology, he stated, citing the example of the South Asia Satellite for facilitating communication in India's neighbourhood, a statement from his office said.

"India is a young nation with great innovative spirit," the Prime Minister said, highlighting the role of talent as the second pillar in India's journey. India is one of the top startup hubs in the world, he added, with the number of unicorn startups having almost doubled since 2021- a testimony to India's young talent.

One of the most important freedoms is the freedom to innovate, the Prime Minister said, and this has been ensured for the geospatial sector. Collection, generation and digitization of geospatial data have now been democratized, he added. Such reforms have been accompanied with a boost to the drone sector and opening up of the space sector for private participation, along with 5G taking off in India.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the theme of the conference, 'Geo-enabling the Global Village: No one should be left behind' can be seen in the steps India has taken over the last few years. "We have been working on a vision of Antyodaya which means empowering the last person at the last mile, in a mission mode" he said.

450 million unbanked people, a population greater than that of USA, were brought under banking net and 135 million people, about twice the population of France, were given insurance, the Prime Minister elaborated. Sanitation facilities were taken to 110 million families and tap water connections to over 60 million families, he added, underlining that "India is ensuring no one is left behind."