Clean energy to semiconductors, defence to medicines, space to deep sea, information technology to nuclear energy — Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the importance of self-reliance in critical technologies and scientific research and development in India achieving the objective of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Addressing the 79th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, the PM highlighted the technology initiatives that are underway, like in clean energy and space, and emphasised the need to develop capabilities in areas like semiconductors and fighter jets.
“…slavery made us impoverished, and it also rendered us dependent. Our reliance upon others kept increasing. The bedrock of a Viksit Bharat is also a self-reliant Bharat. The greater a nation’s reliance on others, the more its freedom comes into question,” Modi said, while making his point about technological self-reliance.
He said a made-in-India chip would be available in the market by the end of the year.
Modi spoke about the progress being made in harnessing renewable energy sources like solar and wind, the efforts to mine and develop critical minerals, and stressed on the importance of nuclear energy.
“By 2047, when the nation will complete 100 years of Independence — the year we have set as target for achieving the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ — we are moving forward with the resolve to increase our nuclear energy capacity more than tenfold,” he said.
The Prime Minister also mentioned India’s Deep Ocean Mission aimed at exploring resources under the sea. His remarks came just a day after it was revealed that two Indian divers, ‘aquanauts’, recently completed trips up to the depth of about 5,000 metres in the Atlantic Ocean. This is in preparation for the country’s ‘Samudrayaan Mission’ in which three Indian divers are supposed to travel in an India-made vessel to about 6,000 metres below the ocean surface.
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Modi also spoke about astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s recent journey to the International Space Station, and India’s own Gaganyaan mission which is supposed to send humans into space by 2027. “And I am very proud of the reforms done in space recently, more than 300 startups of my country are now working only in the space sector and thousands of youth are working with full potential in those 300 startups,” he said.
He asked the youth to put in similar energy into other complex technological areas to strengthen the nation as well as generate jobs and revenues.
“My appeal is to the young scientists of my country, to my talented youth, to my engineers and professionals, and also to every government department. Should the jet engine for our Made in India fighter jets be ours or not? We are considered the pharma of the world … Isn’t it the need of the hour that we put more energy into research and development, we should have our own patents… The Government of India has formulated the BioE3 policy. I request the youth of the country to come and study the BioE3 policy and take steps,” he said.
