NEW DELHI, March 5: In a post-budget webinar on employment held via video conferencing on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined a comprehensive vision for India’s economic and technological growth, emphasizing the critical role of artificial intelligence (AI), research, and urban planning in the country’s progress.
PM Modi highlighted AI as a key driver of India’s future economic development, describing it as a force that could contribute trillions of rupees to the national economy. To accelerate AI development, the government has allocated ₹500 crore in the budget for AI-driven education and research, alongside the launch of a National Large Language Model.
“The world is searching for a safe, democratic, and reliable AI ecosystem, and India is well-positioned to lead this space,” said PM Modi, urging the private sector to actively participate in developing AI-driven solutions.
The Prime Minister also focused on India’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem, which has become the third-largest in the world. He announced a ₹1 lakh crore corpus fund to support deep-tech innovation and research, aiming to foster technological advancements. Additionally, PM Modi introduced 10,000 new research fellowships at premier institutions such as IITs and IISc to nurture scientists and entrepreneurs.
In an effort to preserve India’s historical and scientific heritage, PM Modi launched the Gyan Bharatam Mission, an initiative aimed at digitizing one crore ancient manuscripts and establishing a National Digital Repository, ensuring the protection and accessibility of India’s rich cultural legacy.
For agricultural sustainability, the Prime Minister revealed the creation of a National Gene Bank to preserve plant genetic resources, ensuring long-term food security and resilience to climate change.
On the economic front, PM Modi cited an IMF report that highlighted India’s rapid growth. He pointed out that between 2015 and 2025, the Indian economy expanded by 66%, reaching a size of $3.8 trillion, surpassing several major global economies.
“This pace of development is unprecedented, and the day is not far when India will become a $5 trillion economy,” PM Modi concluded, attributing this growth to strategic investments and significant policy reforms.
