‘Government keen on accelerating digital economy’

India aims to lead in AI, focusing on workforce development and digital economy expansion, as stated by S. Krishnan.

India has embarked on a mission to position itself as a global leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a strong focus on building an AI-ready workforce and expanding the digital economy, said S. Krishnan, secretary of Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in Madurai on Friday.

Addressing the gathering, via video conference, at the SIDA Synergy 2025 – The Technology Conclave organised by the Software Industries Development Association (SIDA), he said that India was steadily shifting its technology and innovation base beyond the metros to tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

The government’s priority is to accelerate the digital economy and encourage the development of digital industries in emerging cities. A study already recognised India as having the best prepared AI workforce globally. The next step is to retrain the current IT workforce in AI, cyber security, and blockchain to meet the demands of emerging technologies, Mr. Krishnan said.

He highlighted the setting up of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) as a national initiative and encouraged industries in Madurai to make full use of the infrastructure. He said that as per the findings of a digital economy study, 10 years ago the digital economy was 7% of India’s GDP. It now stands at 13% and is projected to reach 20% by the end of the decade.

Consul-General of the Netherlands Ewout de Wit emphasised the strengthening of Indo-Dutch relations under the ‘WAH’ agenda focusing on ‘Water, Agriculture, and Health’, with cyber security and semiconductors being included under the evolving strategic partnership. He said that it was his first visit to Madurai and it was encouraging to see how such cities were contributing to India’s innovation story.

Founder-President of SIDA and CEO of StartupTN Sivarajah Ramanathan; Director of STPI Chennai V. Mahadesha; CEO of Chella Software Kathir Kamanathan; SIDA President R. Prabhuram; SIDA Treasurer N. Suresh; Head of Government Liaison at Cognizant Technology Solutions Purushothaman, Managing Director of NAGA Ltd Sounder Kannan and Director at NASSCOM Bhaskar and others were present.

The conclave themed ‘Techpreneurs: Expand Beyond Borders’, marked 15 years of SIDA, and focused on enabling regional tech entrepreneurship, facilitating industry collaboration, and positioning Madurai as a hub for innovation beyond metros, the press statement said.