Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision is taking India from connectivity to global technological leadership
From college hostels to space missions, India’s innovation engines are now inclusive
Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, while addressing the session on “Beyond Connectivity: Democratizing the Engines of Future Innovation” on the occasion of India Mobile Congress 2025 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi today, said that India is transforming innovation from a niche effort to a people’s movement.
Dr. Chandrasekhar emphasized that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is building an innovation ecosystem that is inclusive, accessible, and globally competitive. He said, “We are democratizing the engines of future innovation by making them accessible to every Indian.”
Describing the shift in national thinking as India’s greatest achievement, Dr. Chandrasekhar said that initiatives ranging from Atal Tinkering Labs to Startup India, Digital India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat are making innovation accessible to all. Reflecting on India’s heritage – zero and chess – he said, “Innovation is in our DNA and we are awakening it for a new century.”
“What we have achieved is systematic. The world believes in India because India believes in itself. We are democratising the engines of future innovation by making them accessible to every Indian,” he said.
He said that India’s innovation journey over the past decade marks a decisive shift from connectivity to creativity. He highlighted that the country now has the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. There are over 1.9 lakh startups, while the number of patent filings has doubled, from 40,000 in 2014 to over 80,000 in 2025.
He highlighted the rapid expansion of the country’s innovation landscape, saying, “Code is now being written in tier-3 cities and startups are being born in college hostels. Innovation is no longer a privilege, but is becoming a national habit.”
Dr. Chandrashekhar said that a decade of digital inclusion under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has laid the foundation for innovation through the JAM trinity, low-cost internet access for 900 million users, and over 10 billion monthly transactions through UPI. This has enabled every citizen to connect, create, and contribute. He said that achievements like Chandrayaan-3, indigenous 4G/5G, Made-in-India MRI, and a 30-fold increase in defense exports reflect India’s growing technological strength and its journey towards self-reliance.
Dr. Chandrasekhar said that reforms such as GST, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, simplification of labor laws, and the elimination of retrospective taxation have created a transparent and investor-friendly environment. He said, “India is moving away from the license raj to a trust-first model, honoring entrepreneurs as nation-builders.”
The session was attended by Mr. Hiroshi Mikitani, President & CEO, Rakuten Group, Mr. Ankur Kapoor, Chief Network Officer, T-Mobile and Mr. Gopal Vittal, President, GSMA.
