Future tech: I truly believe this is India's decade, says Bhavish Aggarwal

I truly believe this is India’s decade, our moment in the sun, an opportunity to build our future. This will be led by a young India, an entrepreneurial India, an India which will build tomorrow’s technologies, today.

When our Prime Minister first announced the dawn of ‘Amrit Kaal’ for India, while adding ‘Jai Anusandhaan’, to the rallying cries of Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan, this is what struck me the most. The future is for us to build in India, for the world.

The Finance Minister’s Budget speech today clearly laid down the pathways towards India entering its ‘Amrit Kaal’, strengthening the foundation of a technology-driven and knowledge-based economy, harnessing the power of its youth, to help India become a global leader.

I greatly applaud the emphasis that our FM has put on sustainable or ‘green’ growth and developing our capabilities in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Both are critical to pursue inclusive, long-term growth.

This Budget has brought the rightful focus on AI and other critical technologies, such as coding, robotics, and drones. AI, in particular, is a force multiplier, especially in a young, aspirational country like India. India must double down on investments in this area and build AI tools for the future towards a sustainable, technology driven and inclusive development.

The future technologies that will shape our world have to be built today. And where better to build them than in India. At a humanity scale. And build them from India, for the world.

Of course, growth without sustainability or ‘green’ integrated into our plans, will not be lasting. The Budget’s focus on green growth is timely, as the world grapples with immense climate challenges. The focus on critical growth drivers, including green hydrogen, energy transition, battery storage, and sustainable cities are all encouraging.

Nowhere has the transition to greener forms of energy been faster than it has been in India, which is already the world’s second-largest electric vehicle (EV) market. We have an opportunity to also become the world leader in EVs by developing core technologies, such as cell and battery, and building the required supply chains to lead the transition into cleaner technologies for the world.

There is nothing stopping India from becoming a global knowledge hub for AI, semiconductors, EVs, and energy storage solutions. For entrepreneurs like me, our aspirations are not constrained by limitations, but powered by our dreams, and this budget further fuels these ambitions. In Ola Electric, that is what we are trying to build, not just electric mobility products but an entire EV ecosystem, and much more. The tech focus in this budget will further fuel our commitment towards deep research in cell and other core technologies to build the future of mobility.

It is also great to see the big push in infrastructure and agri-sector investments, as well as measures that will leave more disposable income in the hands of the people. With unlocking the youth’s intellectual drive, its spending power, its focus on inclusivity and sustainability, there is enough and more in this Budget to fuel the ambition, the drive and the hunger for growth of a young India.

And it is up to all of us to make it happen.

Bhavish Aggarwal is Founder & CEO at Ola