As India gears up for the upcoming budget, for me - quality of life, inclusive growth and infrastructure - including digital infrastructure will take centrestage. Strengthened public-private partnerships, along with digital-led interventions in almost all areas will forge a robust path ahead for Viksit Bharat in 2047. Substantial Improvement in the quality of life of citizens should be at the forefront of the government agenda. Since nearly 70 percent of the urban infrastructure needed by 2047 is yet to be built, the government has an opportunity to think out of the box while creating it. For example, the government can actively use combinations of technologies such as Big Data, AI and Digital Twins and simulate the future urban centres through extensive citizen consultations. Doing so will help governments prioritise and efficiently allocate their investments, ultimately helping them earn a better social and economic return on capital invested. We must use innovative technologies to reimagine and subsequently transform rural centres into vibrant industrial hubs capable of gainfully engaging working age citizens. This would gradually stimulate reverse-migration. Further, private financing will need to play a significant role to ensure that the public exchequer is not overburdened. When we talk about inclusive growth - another area comes to mind - Healthcare. Healthcare needs to reach where roads can’t take us - and digital plays a vital role. Programmes like Ayushman Bharat and One Health Mission can get tremendous fillip, scalability and accessibility through data and analytics, AI and other technologies, impacting overall health and wellbeing of the country. Expectations are high for increased allocations towards digital infrastructure, AI especially GenAI, and cybersecurity, aiming to bolster government and citizen services. A lot rests on India’s AI journey will depend on India’s foray into domestic semiconductor manufacturing. This will not only pave the way for tech-led programmes to thrive, make our imprint on the global value chain, but also spur economic growth. To ensure the success of the Indian Semiconductor Mission ISM, the Government must focus on helping it thrive through intra-agency collaboration, secure continuous talent supply through industry-academia linkage, as well as ensure infrastructure quality and policy continuity. We are well on our journey - what we now need are boosters from the Budget 2024 to ensure an inclusive, technologically advanced and economically robust future.
Saibal Biswas
5mo
Well said!
Executive Vice President & Regional Head, Yes Private - East
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