India’s Emerging Technology Ecosystem: Building the Foundation for Viksit Bharat 2047

India’s technology story has entered a decisive new phase. Over the last decade, the country has moved from being seen primarily as a large digital market to becoming an emerging global technology power. This shift has been driven by Digital Public Infrastructure, indigenous innovation, startup growth, advanced research, semiconductor development, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, cloud systems, supercomputing, biotechnology and large-scale digital skilling.

The transformation has been supported by sustained government investment, mission-mode programmes and long-term policy support. India is now building an ecosystem that links digital access, research capability, manufacturing, talent development and global technology partnerships. These advances are becoming a major foundation for the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

The Digital India Programme, launched in 2015, has played a central role in this transformation. It strengthened the country’s digital infrastructure and created the base for emerging technologies to grow at scale. Optical fibre coverage expanded from 19.35 lakh route kilometres in 2019 to 42.36 lakh route kilometres in 2025, improving high-speed connectivity across urban and rural India. India also achieved one of the world’s fastest 5G rollouts, with services reaching 99.9% of districts.

Internet access has grown sharply. Internet connections increased from 25.15 crore in 2014 to 102.86 crore in 2026. Broadband connections rose from 6.1 crore in 2014 to 99.56 crore in December 2025. This digital expansion has connected citizens, startups, businesses, educational institutions, healthcare systems and government services to the digital economy.

Affordable data has further accelerated adoption. Average monthly data consumption rose from 61.66 MB in 2014 to 24.01 GB in December 2025. During the same period, data costs declined from ₹269 per GB to ₹8–10 per GB. Lower internet costs have expanded access to telemedicine, online education, digital payments, e-commerce and e-governance services. This created a strong user base for innovation, entrepreneurship and data-driven technologies.

India’s future technology capacity is also being strengthened through high-performance computing. Under the National Supercomputing Mission, launched in 2015 with an outlay of ₹4,500 crore, India has deployed 38 supercomputers with a combined computing power of 47 petaflops across leading institutions. The indigenous PARAM Rudra series, built with Indian-designed hardware and software, marks a major step in self-reliant supercomputing.

Semiconductors are another major pillar of India’s technology strategy. The Semicon India Programme was launched in December 2021 with an outlay of ₹76,000 crore to support semiconductor manufacturing, display fabrication, chip design, packaging, testing, talent development and research collaboration. The Union Budget 2026–27 announced India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 with an initial outlay of ₹1,000 crore for FY 2026–27. This new phase focuses on semiconductor equipment, materials, indigenous intellectual property, resilient supply chains, research, training and advanced manufacturing.

The Design Linked Incentive Scheme has also helped build India’s fabless semiconductor ecosystem. As of March 2026, 24 companies had received fiscal support and 105 applicants had received EDA tools support. Seven chips have been fabricated from 16 tape-outs, including advanced 12 nm designs. As of June 2026, 12 projects worth around ₹1.64 lakh crore had been approved under the India Semiconductor Mission. These include one semiconductor fab, two compound semiconductor fabs and nine packaging units.

India is also investing in quantum technologies. The National Quantum Mission was approved in April 2023 with an outlay of ₹6,003.65 crore. The mission focuses on Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing and Metrology, and Quantum Materials and Devices. Four dedicated Thematic Hubs have been established at leading institutions, bringing together more than 152 researchers across 43 organisations. The mission has supported 17 startups, including nine deep-tech ventures. India has also demonstrated a 1,000-km secure quantum communication network, achieving the milestone six years ahead of schedule. In February 2026, the foundation stone for India’s first Quantum Valley was laid in Amaravati.

Artificial Intelligence is another major area of national focus. The IndiaAI Mission was approved in 2024 with an outlay of over ₹10,300 crore. It aims to build indigenous AI computing infrastructure, expand access to high-end GPU facilities, support AI research, assist startups, promote youth skilling and encourage safe, inclusive and responsible AI systems. As of March 2026, India had around 1.8 lakh startups, with nearly 89% of new startups using AI solutions. A common computing facility with over 38,000 GPUs is being established to democratise access to advanced AI infrastructure. The AI Kosh platform hosts 12,115 datasets and 306 AI models across 20 sectors.

Cloud computing has become an important layer of India’s digital governance and data infrastructure. India’s indigenous cloud ecosystem began with the launch of MeghRaj in 2014 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. MeghRaj 2.0 later strengthened this ecosystem through hybrid cloud architecture and stronger cybersecurity. As of June 2026, adoption of the MeghRaj cloud platform increased from 342 government departments in 2015–16 to 2,323 departments. It now supports platforms such as DigiLocker, MyGov and the National Scholarship Portal. The Union Budget 2026–27 also introduced major cloud and AI infrastructure incentives, including tax holidays till 2047, a 15% safe harbour provision, an increase in the safe harbour eligibility threshold from ₹300 crore to ₹2,000 crore and automated approval systems.

Blockchain is also emerging as a tool for digital trust, secure governance and transparent record management. The National Blockchain Framework was initiated in 2021 with an outlay of ₹64.76 crore. It supports platforms such as Vishvasya Blockchain Stack, NBFLite sandbox, the Praamaanik app verification system and the National Blockchain Portal. Blockchain-as-a-Service is supported through NIC data centres in Bhubaneswar, Pune and Hyderabad. As of October 2025, over 3 crore property documents had been verified through blockchain platforms. Blockchain adoption is also visible in the Digital Rupee pilots of the Reserve Bank of India, TRAI’s Distributed Ledger Technology system to curb spam and NSDL’s use of blockchain for secure audit trails.

Data centres are becoming the backbone of India’s digital economy. They support cloud services, AI, blockchain applications and high-performance computing. India’s data centre capacity grew from about 375 MW in 2020 to nearly 1,500 MW by 2025. Major data centre hubs have developed in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Noida and Jamnagar. Large hyperscale and AI-focused data centres are also being developed across Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Biotechnology is another strategic technology sector where India has recorded major growth. The National Biopharma Mission was approved in 2017 with an outlay of ₹1,500 crore. Other key initiatives include the BioE3 Policy launched in 2023, BioNEST incubators and innovation schemes such as i4 and PACE. India’s biotechnology sector crossed the USD 150 billion milestone in 2023, achieving the National Biotech Development Strategy 2021 target two years ahead of schedule. As of June 2026, the sector reached USD 190 billion. DBT-BIRAC has established 94 bioincubators across 25 States and Union Territories and provided financial support ranging from ₹50 lakh to ₹10.5 crore for startups and research-driven enterprises.

India is also strengthening its research and innovation ecosystem. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation became operational in 2024 to promote collaboration among academia, industry, startups and government institutions. Its focus areas include AI, semiconductors, advanced materials and other frontier technologies. Through MAHA, PAIR and ATRI, the foundation is helping convert laboratory research into real-world applications. As of March 2026, grants worth ₹264.70 crore had been awarded in high-impact technology areas. In July 2025, the Government approved the Research Development and Innovation Scheme with a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore to provide long-term and affordable financing for private-sector research and innovation.

Skilling has become central to India’s emerging technology ambitions. FutureSkills PRIME, launched in 2018 by MeitY in partnership with NASSCOM, focuses on skilling, reskilling and upskilling in AI, Big Data Analytics, IoT, Cyber Security, Blockchain and AR/VR. As of March 2026, more than 27.53 lakh candidates had registered on the platform, while over 17.14 lakh learners had completed enrolment or training. Around 80% of learners came from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology is also contributing to the creation of a future-ready workforce. NIELIT operates through 56 centres, 750 affiliated institutes and more than 9,000 facilitation centres. It provides training in AI, Cyber Security, Blockchain, IoT, Cloud Computing and Electronics System Design and Manufacturing. It became a Deemed-to-be University in July 2024 and has conducted examinations for more than one crore candidates nationwide. NIELIT has also established IndiaAI Data Labs across 27 centres.

India is building specialised AI capacity through four Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence with a total allocation of ₹1,490 crore. These centres focus on Education, Healthcare, Sustainable Cities and Agriculture. They are led by IIT Madras, IISc Bengaluru, IIT Kanpur and IIT Ropar respectively. The Sustainable Cities CoE is developing AI-based traffic and flood prediction systems. The Healthcare CoE is building AI tools for detecting diseases such as oral cancer, breast cancer, retinal disorders and diabetes. The Agriculture CoE has deployed Automatic Weather Stations to support climate-smart farming.

The Skilling for AI Readiness programme, launched in July 2025, targets school students from classes 6 to 12 through three curated 15-hour modules. It promotes AI literacy through self-paced courses on the Skill India Digital Hub. As of March 2026, more than 1.5 crore candidates had registered on the Skill India Digital Hub, which offers over 1,000 courses across 23 languages. As of February 2026, 15,643 certifications had been issued under “AI to be Aware”, 5,885 under “AI to Aspire”, 4,065 under “AI to Acquire” and 4,178 under “AI for Educators”. The programme now offers 50 AI and AI-application courses developed with support from Microsoft, NASSCOM, CII and other industry partners.

India is also creating a strong semiconductor talent pipeline through the Chips to Start-up Programme. Launched by MeitY in 2022 with an outlay of ₹250 crore over five years, the programme aims to develop 85,000 industry-ready professionals in semiconductor and chip design. Around one lakh individuals have accessed the shared national Electronic Design Automation infrastructure across 400 organisations, including 300 academic institutions and 95 startups. More than 265 industry-led training programmes have strengthened chip design capabilities. The ChipIN Centre at the Semiconductor Laboratory in Mohali has conducted six shared wafer runs, enabling 122 chip design submissions from 46 institutions. Participating institutions have filed more than 75 patents, while over 500 IP cores, ASICs and SoC designs are under development.

India’s global technology credibility is also rising. The country moved from 81st position in the Global Innovation Index in 2015 to 38th in 2025. Global Capability Centres in India have expanded into strategic hubs for software development, AI, analytics, cybersecurity, finance, research and digital operations. India now hosts over 2,100 GCCs across 3,728 units, employing around 2.36 million professionals. Nearly half of the GCCs established since 2021 have been AI-focused from the beginning.

In next-generation communications, the Bharat 6G Alliance was formed in 2023 as an industry-led and government-facilitated initiative. It brings together telecom service providers, academia, research institutions and standards organisations. The alliance has constituted seven Working Groups covering Spectrum, Technology, Applications, Green and Sustainability, and Use Cases.

India’s global semiconductor profile was strengthened through SEMICON India 2025, which brought together over 350 exhibiting companies from 48 countries and regions. The event saw the signing of 13 MoUs and participation by leading global semiconductor CEOs, highlighting confidence in India’s semiconductor policy framework and long-term vision.

India’s AI diplomacy also gained momentum through the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The summit brought delegations from over 100 countries and 20 international organisations and attracted nearly 15 lakh participants through physical and virtual engagement. The India AI Impact Summit Declaration was adopted by 92 countries and organisations. The event also catalysed over USD 200 billion in AI-related investment commitments and showcased India’s growing sovereign AI infrastructure.

Digital Public Infrastructure has become one of India’s strongest technology exports. Platforms such as Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, CoWIN, UMANG and GeM have transformed service delivery through digital identity, instant payments, online documents, healthcare systems and governance services. India has signed agreements with 23 countries for cooperation on Digital Public Infrastructure. UPI is operational in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, France, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

India’s emerging technology ecosystem is now being shaped through three linked strengths: national capacity, technological capability and global credibility. Digital infrastructure has connected people and institutions at scale. Mission-mode programmes are building indigenous strength in AI, semiconductors, quantum, cloud, blockchain, biotechnology and supercomputing. Investments in research and skilling are preparing the workforce for the next industrial era.

Together, these developments show that India is moving from technology adoption to technology creation. The country is building a future-ready ecosystem driven by innovation, inclusion, self-reliance and global partnership. This technological foundation is becoming a major pillar of Viksit Bharat 2047.

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Source: PIB

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