Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post-budget webinar on employment held via video conferencing on Wednesday, outlined a comprehensive vision for India’s economic and technological growth. He emphasized the role of artificial intelligence (AI), research, and urban planning in driving the country’s progress and highlighted key budgetary allocations aimed at fostering innovation and strengthening India’s position in emerging technologies.
PM Modi described AI as a major force capable of adding trillions of rupees to the economy. To accelerate AI development, the budget allocates ₹500 crore for AI-driven education and research, along with 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,” he said, urging private sector participation in AI-driven solutions.
India’s startup ecosystem, now the third-largest in the world, was another key focus. PM Modi announced a ₹1 lakh crore corpus fund to support deep-tech innovation and research. Additionally, he introduced 10,000 new research fellowships at IITs and IISc to nurture scientists and entrepreneurs.
To preserve India’s historical and scientific heritage, the Prime Minister launched the Gyan Bharatam Mission, an initiative to digitize one crore ancient manuscripts and establish a National Digital Repository.
For agricultural sustainability, he announced the creation of a National Gene Bank to preserve plant genetic resources, ensuring long-term food security and climate resilience.
On the economic front, PM Modi cited an IMF report highlighting India’s growth. He said that between 2015 and 2025, the Indian economy expanded by 66%, reaching $3.8 trillion and 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,” he said, attributing the growth to strategic investments and policy reforms.
