In the Age of Digital Empires, India Must Chase Tech Sovereignty https://www.outlookbusiness.com/magazine/in-an-age-of-digital-empires-india-must-chase-tech-sovereignty Deepsekhar Choudhury 1 January 20
When the Kargil war broke out in 1999, India asked the US for access to the military version of its global positioning system (GPS). The US government, still angry with India for conducting nuclear tests the previous year, refused. The refusal spawned the creation of NavIC—a navigation system created by the Indian Space Research Organisation. “It was a blessing in disguise,” says AK Bhatt, a retired general of the Indian Army and current director general of the Indian Space Association.
The moment of necessity for India to create its own critical technologies has arrived. Wars at present no longer depend only on navigation systems, aircraft and missiles. They have already spilled into telecommunications and will soon spill into automotives, energy and health care. And in the multipolar world order we are fast approaching, every sovereign nation will need its own technology.
The Indian government recognises this. And has thus unleashed a $50bn push to build domestic technological capacities in sectors such as chips, quantum computing, electric vehicles and AI. Tech policymakers are increasingly crafting policies that support the creation of IPs. The government is also planning a $4bn subsidy programme to promote design and electronics component manufacturing in a bid to move up the value chain.