‘In India, technology is not an agent of exclusion, but inclusion’: PM Modi at UN Geospatial Congress

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday listed two pillars of India’s development journey – technology and talent – saying that both were important while stressing that technology was not an agent of exclusion but an agent of inclusion.

Addressing the UN World Geospatial International Congress virtually, he said, “In India’s development journey two pillars – technology and talent – are very important. Technology brings transformation. In India, technology is not an agent of exclusion, it’s an agent of inclusion.”

My remarks at the UN World Geospatial International Congress. https://t.co/d0WyJWlJBP

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 11, 2022

Welcoming International delegates, the Prime Minister said, “the people of India are happy to host you on this historic occasion as we build our future together.”

The Prime Minister said that the city of Hyderabad, where the conference is being organised, is known for its culture and cuisine, its hospitality and hi-tech vision.

Pointing out that the theme of the conference, ‘Geo-enabling the Global Village: No one should be left behind’, can be seen in the steps India has taken over the last few years.

“We have been working on a vision of Antyodaya which means empowering the last person at the last mile, in a mission mode” he said.

PM Modi said that as many as 450 million people, a population greater than that of USA, were brought under banking net and 135 million people, about twice the population of France, were given insurance.

Sanitation facilities were taken to 110 million families and tap water connections to over 60 million families, he added, underlining that “India is ensuring no one is left behind.”

He said that technology and talent are the two pillars that are key to India’s development journey.

Technology brings transformation, the Prime Minister said, citing the example of JAM trinity which has delivered welfare benefits to 800 million people seamlessly and of the tech platform that powered the world’s largest vaccination drive.

The Prime Minister highlighted the role of geospatial technology in driving inclusion and progress.

The role of technology in schemes like SVAMITVA and housing, and the outcomes in terms of property ownership and women empowerment, have a direct impact on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals on poverty and gender equality, the Prime Minister emphasised.

“PM-SVAMITVA Yojana is an example of how digitisation benefits people. We are using drones to map properties in villages, and using this villagers are getting their property cards,” he said.

The PM GatiShakti Master Plan is being powered by geo-spatial technology, as is the Digital Ocean platform, he added.

India has already set an example in sharing the benefits of geo-spatial technology, the Prime Minister stated, citing the example of the South Asia Satellite for facilitating communication in India’s neighbourhood.

Highlighting the role of talent as the second pillar in India’s journey, he said, “India is a young nation with great innovative spirit.”

India is one of the top startup hubs in the world, he added, with the number of unicorn startups having almost doubled since 2021- a testimony to India’s young talent.

One of the most important freedoms is the freedom to innovate, the Prime Minister said, and this has been ensured for the geospatial sector.

“Collection, generation and digitisation of geospatial data have now been democratised,” he added.

He said such reforms have been accompanied with a boost to the drone sector and opening up of the space sector for private participation, along with 5G taking off in India.

“The COVID-19 pandemic should have been a wake-up call for the call in taking everyone along. There is a need for an institutional approach by the international community to help each other during a crisis,” he said.

“Global organisations like the United Nations can lead the way in taking resources to the last mile in every region,” he said.

Hand-holding and technology transfer are also crucial in fighting climate change, the Prime Minister added, suggesting that best practices may be shared for saving our planet.

The Prime Minister underscored the endless possibilities that geo-spatial technology offers.

These include sustainable urban development, managing and mitigating disasters, tracking the impact of climate change, forest management, water management, stopping desertification and food security. He expressed his wish that the conference becomes a platform to discuss developments in such important areas.

Expressing his optimism at the occasion, the Prime Minister said, “With the stakeholders of the global geo-spatial industry coming together, with the policy makers and academic world interacting with each other, I am confident that this conference will help steer the global village into a new future.”

With inputs from agencies

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