Goal should be that India doesn’t have to import any technology, says PM Modi at Smart India Hackathon

PTI, Dec 20, 2023, 8:25 AM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India’s goal should be that it doesn’t have to import any technology.

”Technology has become an important part of our lives like never before. Our goal should be that India doesn’t have to import any technology or depend on other nations for it,” he said while interacting with students during the grand finale of Smart India Hackathon.

Citing the defence sector, which is working towards self-reliance, he pointed out that India is forced to import some defence technology. Noting that India has the biggest talent pool in the world, the prime minister said the ”world is confident that India can provide low-cost, quality, sustainable and scalable solutions to global challenges”.

Modi, talking about the ever-evolving challenges of cyber fraud, emphasised the need for high alertness in the context of new technologies. ”We have to be careful with new technology. If these are used carefully, they can be very useful. However, if these are misused, it can create huge problems. You must be aware of deepfake videos made with the help of Generative AI,” he said.

”These videos look very real and, therefore, we need to be very careful before believing the authenticity of a video or an image. India is emphasising a global framework for AI,” Modi added.

The prime minister told the young innovators that the world is confident that in India it will find low-cost, quality, sustainable and scalable solutions to global challenges.

”Our Chandrayaan mission has increased the expectations of the world manifold” he said and asked the innovators to innovate accordingly.

The prime minister reiterated that the next 25 years of India’s Amrit Kaal will be a defining period for the young innovators.

”Today, we are at a turning point in time where every effort of ours will strengthen the foundation of the India of the next thousand years,” he said.