India is transforming innovation from an exclusive pursuit into a nationwide movement, said Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, during a special session titled “Beyond Connectivity: Democratising the Engines of Tomorrow’s Innovation” held on the sidelines of India Mobile Congress 2025 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.
Highlighting India’s journey under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Chandra Sekhar said the nation is shifting from connectivity to creativity, creating an inclusive and globally competitive innovation ecosystem. “We are democratising the engines of tomorrow’s innovation—making them work for every Indian,” he remarked, noting that innovation is becoming a national habit rather than a privilege.
Reflecting on India’s technological transformation, the Minister said that the past decade of digital inclusion has built the foundation for a creative and self-reliant economy. The JAM Trinity, affordable internet for 900 million users, and UPI’s 10+ billion monthly transactions have empowered citizens to connect, create, and contribute. “Code is being written in tier-3 towns, and startups are emerging from college dorms—innovation is now truly democratic,” he added.
Dr Chandra Sekhar underscored that India’s innovation journey now represents one of the fastest-growing ecosystems in the world. The country is home to over 1.9 lakh startups, ranking third globally, while patent filings have doubled from 40,000 in 2014 to more than 80,000 in 2025. Achievements such as Chandrayaan-3, indigenous 4G and 5G technologies, the Made-in-India MRI scanner, and a 30-fold rise in defence exports demonstrate India’s growing technological prowess and progress toward self-reliance.
He further noted that reforms like GST, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, labour law simplification, and the removal of retrospective taxation have created a transparent, innovation-friendly environment. India, he said, has evolved from a license-based system to a trust-based model, celebrating entrepreneurs as nation-builders and innovation as a shared national responsibility.
Dr Chandra Sekhar described this evolution as a shift in national mindset, where innovation is rooted in India’s heritage—from zero to chess—and reimagined for the 21st century. “What we have achieved is methodical. The world believes in India because India believes in itself,” he stated.
The session saw participation from Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairperson and CEO of Rakuten Group, Ankur Kapoor, Chief Network Officer at T-Mobile, and Gopal Vittal, Chairperson of GSMA, along with policymakers, industry leaders, and technology innovators.
With its focus on Democratising Innovation in India, the session reaffirmed the country’s commitment to making technology and creativity accessible to all citizens, driving inclusive and sustainable growth in the digital era.
Source: PIB
