In a compelling address at the Economic Times Education Summit 2025, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored the sweeping technological transformation that has permeated Indian society over the past 11 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. The Minister, who holds charge of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and the Department of Space, said India is now witnessing an unprecedented wave of scientific advancement and innovation reaching into every household.
Dr. Singh credited this shift to the creation of an enabling ecosystem that has nurtured talent across sectors. He pointed to “Operation Sindoor” as a landmark achievement that showcases India’s enhanced scientific capacity and defense readiness, particularly in countering drone and missile threats.
“There was never a lack of talent in this country. What we lacked was an enabling environment to nurture it. PM Modi’s visionary leadership over the past decade has created that ecosystem,” said the Minister.
He highlighted the impact of key reforms such as the opening up of the space and nuclear sectors, which he said have had a multiplier effect on diverse fields including agriculture, education, defence, disaster management, land records, and e-governance.
Emphasizing India’s emergence as a global hub for aspirational youth, Dr. Singh said the nation is now defined by its scientific ambitions and technological confidence. “The rise of aspirations enabled by science and innovation is testimony to the Ease of Living as well as the Ease of Doing Research. Indians abroad today wear their identity with pride, and the world respects that,” he said.
Reflecting on India’s economic journey, the Minister projected that the country’s continued ascent to becoming the fourth-largest economy and beyond would be driven by core sectors such as space, marine technology, and biotechnology. He drew special attention to the recently launched BIO-e3 Policy, which centers on Economy, Employment, and Environment, calling it a catalyst for a biotechnology revolution.
Dr. Singh also spotlighted India’s achievements in healthcare, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the development of the world’s first DNA-based vaccine and the execution of the largest vaccination campaign globally.
He lauded India’s rapid progress in space exploration, recalling the landmark Chandrayaan-3 mission that made India the first country to land on the Moon’s South Pole. Looking ahead, he said India’s participation in the upcoming Axiom-4 mission, with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as Mission Pilot, marks a new chapter of international collaboration in space. This mission will feature Indian-developed biotechnology experiments focusing on space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems using microgravity-compatible biotech kits.
“These kits, conceptualized and validated by Indian scientists, will lay the foundation for long-duration human spaceflight research,” he stated.
The Minister also projected robust growth for India’s space economy, estimating a rise from the current \$8 billion to \$44 billion in the coming years. He noted that India now has over 300 space startups, a remarkable leap from the single-digit count in 2014. Space medicine, he added, would be a key frontier in which India is already making strides.
Highlighting the use of technology for citizen-centric governance, Dr. Singh cited innovations like face recognition technology for pension verification and the evolution of the CPGRAMS grievance redressal system, which now handles 26 lakh complaints annually, up from just 2 lakh in 2014.
While acknowledging the growing role of artificial intelligence, Dr. Singh cautioned against over-reliance on AI-only models and advocated for a hybrid approach that integrates AI with human judgment to maintain empathy and integrity in governance.
“India has matured into a nation where scientific research is not just academic—it’s strategic, secure, and sovereign,” he concluded.
from National https://ift.tt/SdgH91B