Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said India’s visionary leadership and progressive policymaking have created a strong foundation for innovation, positioning the country as a global leader in technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking at AI Bharat Shakti, the official pre-summit event of the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026, FM Sitharaman noted that India is witnessing a historic phase where governance and policy decisions are moving faster than ever before.
“Several things can remain on paper, but when execution happens under visionary leadership, it brings real change,” she said, adding that the synergy between progressive policies and dynamic governance is driving India’s digital growth.
The Finance Minister praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for shaping India’s technology-driven transformation since 2014. “Between 2014 and today, several policy enablers have strengthened governance and created an ecosystem for innovation,” she noted.
FM Sitharaman highlighted India’s institutional and policy framework as instrumental in positioning the country as a global hub for emerging technologies like AI. She also lauded Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for promoting technology-led growth, recalling his earlier contributions in developing Hyderabad as an IT hub.
“With his vision and experience, Andhra Pradesh is the right place to host India’s first AI hub,” FM Sitharaman said, emphasising collaboration between central and state governments to keep India ahead in the global AI race.
“India today is in a phase where policy is pushing ahead much before many others can even absorb it. This has created healthy competition among states, which is ultimately good for the country,” the Finance Minister added.
She further stressed that proactive governance will help India achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. “Without enabling policies and forward-thinking leadership, we cannot reach our dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. But with the vision we have today, we are well on our way,” FM Sitharaman said.
–IANS
