India is transforming innovation from an elite pursuit into a people’s movement, said Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, while addressing a session “Beyond Connectivity: Democratising the Engines of Tomorrow’s Innovation” on the sidelines of India Mobile Congress 2025 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, today.

Dr Chandra Sekhar emphasised that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, India is building an innovation ecosystem that is inclusive, accessible, and globally competitive. “We are democratising the engines of tomorrow’s innovation—making them work for every Indian,” he said.

Dr. Chandra Sekhar called the shift in national mindset as India’s greatest achievement, noting that initiatives from Atal Tinkering Labs to Startup India, Digital India to Atmanirbhar Bharat are making innovation accessible to all. Reflecting on India’s legacy—zero and chess—he said, “Innovation is in our DNA, and we are awakening it for a new century.”

“What we have achieved is methodical. The world believes in India because India believes in itself. We are democratising the engines of tomorrow’s innovation—making them work for every Indian,” he said.

Noting that India’s innovation journey over the past decade marks a decisive transition from connectivity to creativity, he highlighted that the nation has now become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, home to over 1.9 lakh startups, while patent filings have doubled, rising from 40,000 in 2014 to more than 80,000 in 2025.

He underscored the rapid expansion of the country’s innovation landscape, observing that “code is being written in tier-3 towns, and startups are being born in college dorms. Innovation is no longer a privilege—it is becoming a national habit.”

Opining that a decade of digital inclusion under PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji—through the JAM Trinity, low-cost internet reaching 900 million users, and UPI’s 10+ billion monthly transactions—has laid the foundation for innovation, enabling every citizen to connect, create, and contribute, he said achievements such as Chandrayaan-3, indigenous 4G/5G, the Made-in-India MRI, and a 30-fold rise in defence exports reflect India’s growing technological strength and its journey toward self-reliance.

The Minister highlighted that a decade of digital inclusion under PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji—through the JAM Trinity, low-cost internet reaching 900 million users, and UPI’s 10+ billion monthly transactions—has laid the foundation for innovation, enabling every citizen to connect, create, and contribute. He added that achievements such as Chandrayaan-3, indigenous 4G/5G, the Made-in-India MRI, and a 30-fold rise in defence exports reflect India’s growing technological strength and its journey toward self-reliance.

Dr. Chandra Sekhar noted that reforms like GST, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, labour law simplification, and abolition of retrospective taxation have created a transparent, investor-friendly environment. “India has shifted from a license raj to a trust-first model, celebrating entrepreneurs as nation-builders,” he said.

The session was attended by Mr Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman and CEO Rakuten Group, Mr. Ankur Kapoor, Chief Network Officer, T-Mobile; and Mr. Gopal Vittal, Chairman, GSMA.

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Samrat/Allen

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