New Delhi: "Technology and talent are two pillars in India's development journey," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during the inauguration of the UN World Geospatial International Congress, and stressed that technology is not an agent of exclusion, it's an agent of inclusion.
Modi also called for a need of an institutional approach by the international community to help each other during a crisis. Global organisations like the UN can lead the way in taking resources to the last mile in every region.
“We have been working on a vision of Antyodaya which means empowering the last person at the last mile, in a mission mode” he added. Around 450 million unbanked people, a population greater than that of USA, were brought under banking net and 135 million people, about twice the population of France, were given insurance, Modi said.
Sanitation facilities were taken to 110 million families and tap water connections to over 60 million families, he added, underlining that “India is ensuring no one is left behind.”
The Prime Minister, who addressed the Congress through a video conference said technology brings transformation citing the example of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile (JAM) trinity which has delivered welfare benefits to 800 million people seamlessly and of the tech platform that powered the world’s largest vaccination drive.
“PM-SVAMITVA Yojana is an example of how digitisation benefits people. We are using drones to map properties in villages, & using this villagers are getting their property cards,” Modi said.
Geospatial technology is driving inclusion and progress
Modi also highlighted the role of geospatial technology in driving inclusion and progress. The role of technology in schemes like SVAMITVA and housing, and the outcomes in terms of property ownership and women empowerment have a direct impact on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals on poverty and gender equality, the PM added.
Modi also noted that the PM GatiShakti Master Plan is being powered by geospatial technology including the Digital Ocean platform. The PM also mentioned India setting an example in sharing the benefits of geospatial technology citing the example of the South Asia Satellite for facilitating communication in India’s neighbourhood.
Stating that one of the most important freedoms is the freedom to innovate, the Prime Minister said the geospatial sector has ensured this as collection, generation and digitization of geospatial data have now been democratized. Such reforms have been accompanied by a boost to the drone sector and the opening up of the space sector for private participation, along with 5G taking off in India.
"India is among the top startup hubs in the world. Since 2021, we've almost doubled the number of unicorn startups," Modi added.
The Second United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress (UNWGIC 2022) will be held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre from 10-14 October.
The Congress is convened to promote comprehensive dialogue on global geospatial information management with all relevant governments, international organizations, and stakeholders.