The geopolitical and economic landscape of the twenty first century is defined not merely by military might or geographical size, but by technological sovereignty. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has transitioned from a passive consumer of global technologies into an active creator, innovator, and exporter of frontier tech. This article explores the structural, policy, and scientific transformations that have reshaped India’s technology ecosystem since 2014. By focusing on three strategic pillars—Space, Semiconductors, and Artificial Intelligence—we examine how the Indian state has leveraged technology to drive domestic development, ensure national security, and project power on the global stage.
The New Space age – Democratization and Deep Space :
India’s space program, long recognized for its frugality and efficiency under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), underwent a structural mutation under the Modi administration. The shift was clear move from a state-monopolized sector to a thriving commercial space ecosystem.
The policy pivot: in-Space and The Space policy 2023
For decades, private players in India could only act as vendors supplying components to ISRO. The establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACE) in 2020 completely altered this dynamics . By acting as a single-window autonomous clearance agency, IN-SPACE allowed private companies to build rockets, launch satellites, and utilize ISRO’s world-class infrastructure. The formalization of the Indian Space Policy 2023 codified this openness, providing regulatory clarity that attracted substantial venture capital into aerospace startups like Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos.
Historical milestones: Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, and Aditya-L1
The geopolitical prestige of India’s space program reached its zenith with the Chandrayaan-3 mission. By successfully landing the Vikram lander on the lunar South Pole—a region untouched by any other spacefaring nation—India demonstrated immaculate engineering precision under extreme constraints. This followed the success of the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) and paved the way for Aditya-L1, India’s first dedicated solar observatory. These missions proved that India could execute deep space exploration at a fraction of the cost incurred by Western counterparts.
Commercialization and global launches:
Through New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, India positioned itself as a highly reliable, cost-effective launch hub for global payloads. The deployment of massive satellite constellations, such as the UK-based One Web fleet using India’s heaviest rocket, the LVM3, solidified India’s market share in the global launch services sector, turning space technology into a vital driver of foreign exchange and diplomatic soft power.
The Silicon Shield – establishing The Semiconductor ecosystem :
If space represents India’s external ambitions, semiconductors represent the foundational hardware upon which its digital economy rests. Recognizing the vulnerability of global supply chains during the pandemic, the Modi government launched an aggressive campaign to bring silicon fabrication to Indian soil.
The India Semiconductor mission (ISM) :
Launched with a massive financial outlay of Rs.76,000 crore (approximately $10 billion), the India Semiconductor Mission was designed to position India as a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design. Unlike previous, short-lived government attempts, the ISM offered comprehensive 50% fiscal support for the setting up of semiconductor fabs, display fabs, and compound semiconductor facilities.
Megaprojects and infrastructure
The policy yielded tangible results with the approval of massive semiconductor units across the country. Partnerships between domestic giants like the Tata Group and international firms (such as Taiwan’s PSMC and Japan’s Renesas) led to the establishment of India’s first commercial semiconductor fabs in Dholera, Gujarat, and assembly and test facilities in Sanand and Morigaon, Assam. Simultaneously, US chip giant Micron Technology commenced construction on a major Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) facility, integrating India directly into the global microchip supply chain.
Design and human capital
While fabrication plants require years to mature, India already possessed a massive competitive advantage: design talent. Nearly 20% of the world’s semiconductor design engineers are located in India, working out of R&D hubs in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune. The Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme targeted local startups, encouraging them to design domestic chips (IP core creation) for local consumption and export, ensuring that India moves up the value chain from basic assembly to high-end design ownership.
Artificial Intelligence – Sovereignty, Scale, and Social good :
The Modi government’s approach to Artificial Intelligence differs distinctively from the purely commercial model of Silicon Valley and the state-controlled model of Beijing. India’s AI philosophy is anchored in the principle of “AI for All”—using machine learning to solve large-scale socio-economic challenges at the grassroots level.
The India AI mission
With a cabinet approval of over Rs.10,371 crore, the India AI Mission established a sovereign framework for AI development. The cornerstone of this initiative is the creation of a massive, public-tier AI computing infrastructure. By making thousands of advanced GPUs available to local startups, researchers, and public enterprises, the government aims to eliminate the high financial barriers to AI model training.
Foundational models and linguistic Diversity :
India’s unparalleled linguistic diversity presents a unique challenge for standard Western LLMs. Under the Bhashini initiative, the government deployed AI to break language bar payments), riers in real-time. Bhashini uses open-source datasets to train models capable of translating Indian languages dynamically, allowing rural citizens to access government services, digital banking, and legal documents in their native dialects. Furthermore, public-private partnerships have fueled the creation of indigenous LLMs, such as Krutrim and Hanooman, designed specifically to understand the cultural nuances and syntax of the Indian population.
AI in public governance
AI has been deeply integrated into India’s public infrastructure. In agriculture, predictive AI models analyze weather patterns, soil health, and crop pricing to provide actionable insights directly to farmers via mobile devices. In healthcare, AI-powered diagnostic tools are deployed in Ayushman Bharat health centers to screen for conditions like diabetic retinopathy and tuberculosis in remote villages where specialized doctors are unavailable.
The convergence – DPI, Security, and geopolitics :
The true power of India’s technological triad—Space, Semiconductors, and AI— lies in their convergence, underpinned by India’s revolutionary Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), commonly known as the India Stack.
The India Stack and Technological inclusion :
The foundational layers of Aadhaar (biometric identity), UPI (instant mobile payments) and Digi Locker (digital document verification) created a massive data footprint. The integration of AI into this stack allows for highly efficient, fraud-free delivery of welfare benefits, credit scoring for unbanked populations, and optimized urban management.
Geopolitical realignment and Strategic alliances
Technology is the new currency of diplomacy. Through initiatives like the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (ICET), India has aligned its technological trajectory with major global democracies. Co-development of defense tech, semiconductor supply chain resilience pacts, and space exploration treaties (such as India signing the Artemis Accords) indicate that New Delhi is now viewed as an indispensable tech partner by the West, serving as a vital counterweight in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Digital century belongs To India
The deliberate policy interventions, financial commitments, and structural reforms implemented under the Narendra Modi Government have permanently altered India’s technological trajectory. By democratizing space, capturing a critical node in the global semiconductor value chain, and pioneering a human-centric approach to Artificial Intelligence, India has secured its digital sovereignty. The transition from a nation managing scarcity to one engineering abundance is complete. As these technologies mature, they will continue to lift millions out of poverty, safeguard national security, and ensure that the twentyfirst century is structurally and intellectually shaped by India. Future space goals—such as establishing the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS) space station and executing the crewed Gaganyaan missions—require launch vehicles with substantially higher payload capacities. Accelerating the development of the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) is critical to meeting these goals. India’s achievements in space exploration and its strategic push into semiconductor manufacturing represent a shift from a nation that consumes technology to one that creates it. The Chandrayaan missions demonstrated that India can execute highly complex, deep-space engineering under disciplined budgets. Meanwhile, the India Semiconductor Mission provides the foundational hardware security required to protect and sustain these advanced technological networks. By systematically addressing remaining infrastructure challenges and supporting its growing startup ecosystem, India is building an integrated technology foundation. This synthesis of space exploration and advanced microelectronics ensures the nation will remain an essential architecture developer in the global technology economy for decades to come.
*The author is a Director of Delhi Institute for Administrative Services ( DIAS India ) , Professor of Physics , a well known science communicator and President of Alumni Association of JNU (AAJ)