PM Modi launches several projects marking National Technology Day 2023

On the occasion of National Technology Day 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the programme at Pragati Maida, New Delhi. The programme also marked the commencement of the celebration of the 25th year of National Technology Day being held from the 11th-14th May. Prime Minister Modi laid down the foundation stone and dedicated multiple projects that are related to scientific and technological advancement worth over Rs 5,800 crore to the nation. This is in line with the vision of Prime Minister, ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. 

The projects whose foundation stone was laid include Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory – India (LIGO-India), Hingoli; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jatni, Odisha; and Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. 

The projects dedicated to Nation include Fission Molybdenum-99 Production Facility, Mumbai; Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Plant, Visakhapatnam; National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility, Navi Mumbai; Radiological Research Unit, Navi Mumbai; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Visakhapatnam; and Women & Children Cancer Hospital Building, Navi Mumbai. 

Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated the Expo showcasing scientific & technological advancements made in India in the recent past and also took a walk-through. He also released a commemorative stamp and coin on the occasion. 

Prime Minister Modi said, “I can never forget the day when Atal Ji made the announcement of India’s successful Nuclear Testing,” the Prime Minister remarked. He stated that the Pokhran Nuclear Testing not only helped India prove its scientific capabilities but also gave a boost to the global stature of the nation. “In Atal Ji’s words”, the Prime Minister said, “We have never stopped on our journey and never surrendered to any challenge that has come our way.” The Prime Minister conveyed his greetings to every citizen on the occasion of National Technology Day.       

Mentioning the futuristic projects that have been inaugurated today, the Prime Minister mentioned the National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility, and Radiological Research Unit in Mumbai, the Fission Molybdenum-99 Production Facility, Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Plant in Visakhapatnam and the various Cancer Research Hospitals and said that it will give a push to the progress of the country with the help of nuclear technology. Talking about LIGO-India, the Prime Minister called LIGO to be one of the foremost science and technology initiatives of the 21st century. The observatory will bring new opportunities for research for the students and scientists, he said. 

The Prime Minister said that more than 10 thousand ATAL tinkering labs in 700 districts have become innovation nurseries. More importantly, 60 percent of these labs are in government and rural schools. He informed that over 75 lakh students are working laboriously on more than 12 lakh innovation projects in Atal Tinkering Lab. This, the Prime Minister said, is a sign of young scientists coming right out of schools and reaching the far corners of the country and emphasising that it is everyone’s duty to handhold them, nurture their talent and also assist them in implementing their ideas. He noted the hundreds of start-ups that have been incubated at Atal Innovation Centres (AIC) and said that it is emerging as the new laboratories of the ‘New India’. “The Tinker-preneurs of India will soon become leading entrepreneurs of the world”, the Prime Minister said. 

“The India of today is moving forward in every direction that is necessary to become a tech leader”,  Modi said. He noted that the number of tech incubation centres in the country has grown from roughly 150 in 2014 to more than 650 today. The Prime Minister also mentioned that India’s Global Innovation Index Rank has gone from 81stto the 40thposition where the youth of the country are setting up their own digital ventures and start-ups. Drawing comparisons with 2014, the Prime Minister mentioned that the number of start-ups in the country has increased from roughly 100 to one lakh recognised start-ups today and it has turned India into the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. Noting India’s capability and talent, the Prime Minister pointed out that the growth took place at a time when the world is dealing with economic uncertainty. Underlining that the present moment is extremely precious for policymakers, the scientific community, research labs spread across the country and the private sector, the Prime Minister reiterated that even though the School to Start-up journey will be made by the students, it is the stakeholders who must guide and encourage them at all times. The Prime Minister extended his entire support for the cause. 

The Prime Minister said that the right use of technology gives new strength to society, today the government is using technology for providing services for every stage of life. Online birth certificates, e-Pathshala and Diksha e-learning platforms, scholarship portal, Universal access number during the job period, e-Sanjeevani for medical treatment, and Jeevan Praman for the elderly, such solutions are helping the citizen at every step, said the Prime Minister. He also talked about initiatives in easy passports, Digi Yatra, and DigiLocker as examples of ensuring social justice and enhancing ease of living. 

Referring to India’s goal of a self-reliant defence sector, the Prime Minister mentioned Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and expressed delight that the Ministry of Defence has procured 14 innovations from iDEX worth more than Rs 350 crore. The Prime Minister mentioned initiatives like i-create and DRDO young scientists’ labs and said that these efforts are being given a new direction. Touching upon the new reforms in the space sector, the Prime Minister said that India is emerging as a global game changer and highlighted technologies like SSLV and PSLV orbital platforms. Modi stressed the need to provide new opportunities for the youth and start-ups in the space sector and also touched upon taking the lead in areas of coding, gaming and programming. The Prime Minister also highlighted policy-level initiatives like the PLI scheme at a time when India is increasing its presence in new avenues like semiconductors.