Key Points

Invoking India's grand legacy as a global knowledge hub, the Minister said, "From Aryabhata's zero, to advances in medical science and surgery, to Nalanda and Takshashila that drew seekers from across the world, this quest for knowledge is in our DNA. The largest library at Harvard pales in comparison to Nalanda. That spark still lies within us."

Calling the Tech Fest a "launchpad to enact bold dreams," Scindia stressed that India's rise rests on the shoulders of its youth.

On technology, he reiterated the role of AI, saying that what IT did 40 years ago, AI will do today. However, the task is not just to build AI; it is to build responsible AI for All, and it must elevate humanity, not dominate it. The Minister highlighted India's growing leadership in frontier technologies.

The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) has already invested in over 120 futuristic projects spanning quantum computing, terahertz communication, bio-nano systems, indigenous chipsets, and encrypted routers. He reaffirmed India's goal to emerge as a global leader in 6G and contribute at least 10 per cent of global patents by 2030, with the heart of this ambitious target lying within India's students.

Scindia reminded students that India's rise is anchored in its civilizational values: "We are a country that has never raised war, that believes in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam." He urged the students to build for Bharat with solutions for the farmer awaiting precision agriculture, the child in a digital classroom, and the patient in a small town relying on tele-health.

Addressing the future innovators who may study abroad, the minister appealed that they may study at the best universities, work in the best labs, but must come back home and bring their knowledge, their ambition, and rebuild India into the Golden Bird it once was by turning brain drain into brain gain.

In conclusion, he offered the youth three guiding principles to "Be Bold, Be Rooted and to Build for Bharat", as the auditorium erupted in applause. "The opportunity of the next 100 years lies in India. Carry forward the spirit of Asia, the spirit of India, to shine on the world stage," he concluded.

- ANI