The Next Decade Belongs To India: Ajay Prakash Sawhney

The technological gap that exists in India, as far back as one can remember, and the Digital India initiative hopes to shorten this gap. Understanding the urgency of India to become a leading digital economy has created a need for a multi-lateral approach and strategy.

At the 5th Annual BW Businessworld Digital India Summit and Awards 2019 organized by BW Business World, Ajay Prakash Sawhney addresses the audience in the inaugural sessions on a range of topics. He begins speaking on the range seen with regards to the success of the Make-in-India initiative.

Sawhney further elucidates on the attractiveness India holds for multi-national corporations to invest in the country to help expand their manufacturing processes, citing the mobile phone industry as one of the largest growing industries in India.

“The growth of manufacturing in India for mobile phones is palpable, with more than 200 companies manufacturing their mobile phones from India in 2019 compared to just a few in 2014. Similarly, 6 crore mobile phones were manufactured in India in 2014 to about 29 crore mobile phones manufactured in India in 2019”, he said.

Ajay Kumar Sawhney brings up even further examples in Aadhar and BHIM UPI as technological platforms that help India make strides in technology. He said, “Implemented in 2017, BHIM UPI is one of the fastest rising e-finance platform, recording 79.95 crore transactions in March of 2019, less than 2 years into its launch”.

He further shares his excitement for the future of India, calling technology a big equalizer that brings all nations at par with each other. He finishes his remarks by saying India has a bright future ahead of itself.

“The next decade belongs to because India is the only major country that has both problem solvers in the form of professionals, and problems that need solving, unlike most nations which have only the former”, said Sawhney.

Also in attendance, Dr. Anurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, BW Businessworld Media Pvt Ltd & Exchange 4 Media Group, gives his thoughts on the importance of technological development in India. He is extremely optimistic about the growth in technological infrastructure under the NDA-1 and incumbent NDA-2 government.

He said, “While the NDA-1 government was more concerned with the introduction of technological platforms to the nation, the incumbent NDA-2 government is focussed on the implementation and naturalization of technological amenities into the public and private sphere”.

Dr. Batra stresses on how important technology is in the lives of the current generation, the youth, referring to them as the first naturally adept generation when it comes to technology, and remains hopeful in the face of challenges that India has in front of it. He concludes his opening remarks by stating that prominent issues that plague India, such as women’s safety, the water crisis and even climate change can be tackled and put to bed with the proper and efficient use of technology.