For decades, we’ve celebrated our rise as a global tech hub—but beneath the surface, our achievements tell a sobering story. While the world forged the future, we became its backend. We scaled what others invented, optimized what others imagined, and built billion-dollar efficiencies without owning the core. We wore the badge of “IT superpower,” but it was often “jugaad”, not genuine invention, that defined our brand.
India’s digital infrastructure today leads the world in scale and inclusion: Aadhaar has issued over 1.3 billion biometric IDs, covering 99% of adults. UPI processed 18.4 billion transactions in May 2025 alone, worth ₹27.8 lakh crore (~$335 billion). DigiLocker now enables paperless access to documents for over 513 million users. CoWIN, at its peak, administered 2.2 billion vaccine doses—the largest digital public health campaign in history. India’s remarkable progress in satellite technology, led by ISRO, and groundbreaking advancements in biotechnology reflect our growing prowess in deep tech innovation.
Yet, behind this extraordinary scale lies a sobering reality: the foundational technologies— semiconductors, compute infrastructure, and core algorithms—have largely come from outside our borders. The foundational AI models? Trained in foreign labs. Our proudest digital platforms often rely on building blocks not made in India.
Why? Because philosophically, we have embraced trade, not creation.
Our education system rewards risk-averse research designed to meet salary grades, not solve global problems. Corporate conservatism suffocates frontier innovation. Years ago, when my team and I endeavoured to build the first Android phone from India and place it on the largest American telecom operator’s panel, we were met with bureaucratic indifference and a lack of belief that eventually suffocated innovation.
We are playing the game with gloves on—careful, cautious, and compliant. That must change.
Diamond-Cut Brains, Factory-Made Thinking
The greatest culprit behind our innovation deficit is the diamond material model—our obsession with polishing individuals to fit into global assembly lines. Our brightest minds are exported or absorbed into backend functions. The result? We’ve become intellectually dependent, outsourcing not just labor but imagination. Our research output, both in volume and originality, still lags behind. India’s gross expenditure on R&D remains below 1% of GDP—compared to 3%+ in innovation leaders like South Korea and Israel. Most research is imposed, not inspired.
A Glimmer of Deep Tech Dharma
But there is hope—and it’s emerging in unexpected places. In April 2025, Sarvam AI launched India’s first sovereign 120B-parameter language model, trained in Indian languages. QpiAI built a 25-qubit quantum computer. Agnikul Cosmos, a Chennai startup, test-fired a 3D-printed rocket engine. And Micron’s new fab in Gujarat signals the start of domestic chip manufacturing.
We’re also seeing global appetite for our homegrown digital public infrastructure. UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and CoWIN are now models for over 20 countries. India’s deep tech startup count crossed 4,000, with 480 new ventures in 2023. Patent filings in deep tech jumped 24% in 2024—the highest in 20 years. These aren’t just signs of progress—they’re the first sparks of a creator economy.
The Wake-Up Call: India at an Inflection Point
Make no mistake—this is a race, and the clock is ticking. The world is sprinting toward AI supremacy, quantum breakthroughs, and biocomputing revolutions. If we don’t accelerate now, we will permanently lose our seat at the innovation table. We are not short of genius. We are short of conviction and courage.
This is a call for a new industrial revolution from India—not one of low-cost labor, but of deep-tech leadership. A bold India that – trains sovereign LLMs on Indian soil, designs chips for the Global South, and democratizes AI, quantum, and biotech for 6 billion underserved people
Let’s build from India—for the World. The world doesn’t need another Silicon Valley. It needs a new innovation model—born out of constraint, guided by purpose, and scaled with inclusivity. That model can come from India. But only if we unlearn our trading mindset and embrace the mindset of creation.
Let’s not wait another decade to play catch-up. Let’s take off the gloves. Let’s imagine, invent, and build—not just for India, but from India—for the world.