NewzVille Desk
Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Railways and Information & Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, yesterday called upon the Indian IT industry to transform itself from a software services-led model to an “AI as a Service” model, leveraging India’s trusted global reputation and skilled talent pool.
Vaishnaw was addressing an Industry Leader Townhall on “The Role of Technology in Building Viksit Bharat 2047”, organized by the Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) in Hyderabad.
The event was followed by a roundtable interaction with industry leaders. Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy also participated in the programme.
Addressing industry leaders, Ashwini Vaishnaw said India’s next phase of growth will be driven by Artificial Intelligence, semiconductors, electronics manufacturing and advanced infrastructure, all aligned with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Stating that Artificial Intelligence has fundamentally transformed the IT industry, the Minister said every new AI model brings new capabilities and opportunities.
He highlighted that India’s greatest strength lies in the trust it has earned globally by understanding industries, identifying problems and delivering effective technology-driven solutions.
Emphasizing the need for a strategic shift, Shri Vaishnaw said the Indian IT industry must now move beyond the Software-as-a-Service model and evolve towards providing AI as a Service.
He said this transformation should be driven through close collaboration between industry and academia. Referring to recent initiatives, he said NASSCOM, in partnership with the Government, has developed a comprehensive AI curriculum which has been shared with the Ministry of Education and AICTE to ensure students receive exposure to the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence.
Highlighting the country’s progress in semiconductor manufacturing, Vaishnaw said India had aspired to build a semiconductor ecosystem since the 1960s, but the vision has now become a reality due to the focused efforts of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
He informed that 12 semiconductor manufacturing plants are currently at various stages of development, with three already producing chips that are being exported to Japan, Europe and domestic markets.
The Minister said India’s growing semiconductor design ecosystem, coupled with a global shortage of skilled talent, presents a significant opportunity for the IT industry.
He encouraged companies to leverage their strengths in electronics, IT, design and product development to create innovative semiconductor solutions.
He also informed that the Government has made advanced semiconductor design tools available to 315 universities to strengthen the talent pipeline.
Vaishnaw said India is witnessing unprecedented growth, with mobile phones emerging as the country’s largest export category last year. He said the electronics manufacturing sector is expected to expand from the current ₹13 lakh crore to ₹20 lakh crore in the near future. In Telangana alone, the Central Government has supported the establishment of 104 electronics manufacturing companies, sanctioned four Electronics Manufacturing Clusters and established a Common Facility Centre (CFC).
Referring to infrastructure development, Minister Vaishnaw said Hyderabad is poised to emerge as a major hub under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development vision. He said three bullet train corridors are planned for the city, positioning Hyderabad as an important centre for high-speed rail development and economic growth.
