On August 15, 1947, India awoke to freedom, casting off colonial chains to chart its own destiny. Seventy-eight years later, as the nation celebrates another Independence Day, India is awakening to a new kind of liberation—one driven not by arms or politics, but by innovation, technology, and an untiring spirit of enterprise.
From bustling startup hubs in Bengaluru to cutting-edge research labs in Hyderabad, India is no longer just the back office of the world. It is reshaping its identity, fuelling inclusive growth, and taking big strides towards becoming a global technology powerhouse by its 100th year of independence in 2047.
Startup Surge: A Billion Dreams in Motion
India’s startup ecosystem stands at the forefront of this transformation. With more than 100,000 registered startups and over 110 unicorns valued collectively at over $350 billion as of 2025, India is the third-largest startup hub in the world. While cities like Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Mumbai continue to anchor the ecosystem, the rise of entrepreneurial hotspots in tier-2 and tier-3 cities reflects a broader democratisation of innovation.
What distinguishes this surge is not just volume but depth. India is nurturing over 3,600 deep-tech startups—a number expected to triple by 2030. These ventures are developing solutions in AI, space technology, semiconductors, and biotech. For instance, Agnikul Cosmos recently launched the world’s first 3D-printed rocket engine, demonstrating India’s ability to innovate at global standards and disruptive costs.
India is reshaping its identity, fuelling inclusive growth, and taking big strides towards becoming a global technology powerhouse by its 100th year of independence in 2047
Government support has been catalytic. The Startup India initiative (2016), Anusandhan National Research Fund (₹1 lakh crore, 2024), and Digital India have created a fertile policy and capital environment. However, the sector faces hurdles, including protracted research and development cycles, a scarcity of early-stage funding, and inconsistent enforcement of intellectual property rights.
Still, India’s advantage lies in its demographic dividend, with more than 50 per cent of its population under the age of 35. The story of Krutrim AI, building foundation models trained on Indian languages, epitomises India’s potential to develop globally competitive solutions tailored to local needs.
Artificial Intelligence: From Back Office to Brain Trust
India’s rapid ascent in artificial intelligence marks a tectonic shift from being the world’s IT services hub to becoming a global brain trust. The AI market is projected to reach $17 billion by 2027, with applications spanning agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, and governance.
Startups like Niramai are deploying AI for early breast cancer detection, KisanAI is empowering farmers with real-time data-driven insights, and Sarvam AI is building India-specific LLMs in local languages.
Government initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission—a ₹10,000 crore investment in compute infrastructure, sovereign AI models, and skilling—underscore India’s ambition to be a responsible AI power. Still, the country needs to train over 1 million AI professionals by 2030, while ensuring inclusivity, digital literacy, and ethical safeguards.
India’s edge lies in its ability to democratise AI—making it accessible to small businesses and rural users, ensuring that innovation uplifts the last citizen, not just the digital elite.
Venture capital investment, at approximately $10 billion in 2024, lags far behind the United States’ $140 billion. Meanwhile, intellectual property protections and ease of doing business need consistent reform
Space Tech: Reaching for the Stars
India’s space journey—once admired for its frugality—is now lauded for its boldness. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), with feats like Chandrayaan-3, the Mars Orbiter, and the upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight, has put India among the elite spacefaring nations.
What’s more remarkable is the rise of private players like Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, and Dhruva Space, which are developing affordable launch and satellite platforms for global markets. Backed by the 2020 liberalisation of the space sector, over 100 private space-tech startups have emerged, unlocking India’s potential in the $447 billion global space economy.
Despite these strides, funding remains a glaring constraint—ISRO’s annual budget of $1.7 billion pales in comparison to NASA’s $25 billion, limiting India’s ability to compete on a global scale. Strategic partnerships and increased private investment will be essential to unlock the sector’s full potential.
India’s unique strengths—a young population, policy tailwinds, and frugal innovation—offer the right scaffolding for leapfrogging development curves
Biotech and Green Energy: Building Sustainable Futures
India’s biotech sector, projected to hit $137 billion in 2025, is critical to its innovation narrative. Home to vaccine giants like Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech, India earned global acclaim during the COVID-19 pandemic. Startups like Bugworks are merging AI with drug discovery to tackle antimicrobial resistance, showing the convergence of life sciences and computational tech.
On the sustainability front, India is executing one of the world’s boldest green transitions. With a 500 GW renewable energy target by 2030, it is the third-largest solar power producer. Innovations like tandem solar cells from IIT-Bombay and green hydrogen pilots are reimagining the energy landscape.
Government programs like PM Suryodaya Yojana, targeting rooftop solar on 100 million homes, and the PLI scheme for green hydrogen reflect a coherent vision. The biggest challenge: upgrading grid infrastructure and storage solutions to handle intermittent renewables. Yet, India has slashed solar costs by 40 per cent in the past decade—proof that scale and innovation go hand in hand.
Global Capability Centres: India’s Innovation Hubs
India is also witnessing a quiet but profound shift in how global enterprises view it—from a cost centre to a strategic innovation hub. The country now hosts 1,600+ Global Capability Centres (GCCs), employing 1.7 million people and contributing over $46 billion annually.
Companies like Microsoft, JP Morgan, and Samsung are conducting cutting-edge R&D in India, from AI to cybersecurity to chip design. These GCCs are no longer back offices—they are engineering command centres for the world.
Yet, retaining top talent remains a challenge, compounded by urban infrastructure bottlenecks and regulatory unpredictability.
By 2047, India aims not only to be a $10 trillion economy but a credible force in nurturing inclusive, ethical, and open innovation. As Dr APJ Abdul Kalam once envisioned, a nation of a billion minds is finally taking flight
Digital Public Infrastructure: India’s Secret Sauce
A major catalyst in India’s innovation leap is its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)—a global model now emulated across continents. The India Stack—comprising Aadhaar (digital ID), UPI (real-time payments), DigiLocker, and Account Aggregator frameworks—has revolutionised identity, inclusion, and access for over a billion people. In June 2025 alone, UPI processed over 14 billion transactions.
Initiatives like ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) and Bhashini (language AI platform) are further democratising e-commerce and public services. At G20 India, DPI became a diplomatic export, with developing countries adopting India’s model through platforms like the Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
India’s innovation journey is not without friction. Infrastructure deficits in tier-2 and tier-3 cities hinder startups from scaling, while the education system struggles to produce graduates with the critical thinking and interdisciplinary skills demanded by modern industries. Venture capital investment, at approximately $10 billion in 2024, lags far behind the United States’ $140 billion, stifling high-potential ventures. Meanwhile, intellectual property protections and ease of doing business need consistent reform.
Yet, India’s unique strengths—a young population, policy tailwinds, and frugal innovation—offer the right scaffolding for leapfrogging development curves.
Vision 2047: India’s Techade
As India marches toward its 100th year of independence, a compelling vision is unfolding—the journey from Gandhian spinning wheels to quantum computers, from bullock carts to space capsules, from local dialects to LLMs, is symbolic of a nation perpetually reinventing itself.
By 2047, India aims not only to be a $10 trillion economy but a credible force in nurturing inclusive, ethical, and open innovation. As Dr APJ Abdul Kalam once envisioned, a nation of a billion minds is finally taking flight.
–The writer is an internationally experienced leader in R&D and product innovator with a proven track record of building and transforming global organisations to accelerate innovation, reduce costs, and drive growth across the healthcare sector. As a thought leader in global affairs, he offers unique perspectives at the intersection of technology, healthcare, and international strategy. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
