Modi meeting CEOs: PM Modi showcases India’s tech prowess during US visit: key takeaways

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a three-day visit to the US, has been highlighting India’s growth potential in the technology sector. Modi met with leading Silicon Valley CEOs and government officials to attract investment in the country’s startups and semiconductor industry.

The prime minister also addressed the Indian American community about India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and initiatives for domestic semiconductor production.

Here are key takeaways from the PM’s visit:

• Modi engaged in a roundtable discussion with the CEOs of leading American tech companies, highlighting India’s growth prospects and exploring initiatives to enhance bilateral collaboration across various sectors.

• The meeting saw the participation of CEOs from 15 major US-based firms at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and semiconductors.

• The CEOs acknowledged India’s increasing prominence as a global technology hub, attributing this to its innovation-friendly policies and burgeoning market opportunities.

• After the meeting, they expressed strong interest in investing and collaborating with India, recognising that investing in startups presents a synergistic opportunity for innovation and technological advancement.

• In New York, Modi also addressed a gathering of the Indian diaspora at the ‘Modi and US’ event in Nassau Coliseum. He appreciated their support in India’s growth, calling them “strong brand ambassadors” of the country globally.

• He emphasised the global appeal of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which is drawing attention and admiration from around the world.

• He apprised the audience of how India has become a key player in mobile manufacturing—from being an importer to an exporter and digital public infrastructure adoption. He added that the day is not far when Made in India chips will be available in America.

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• Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, remarked that “India is having its moment” and urged businesses to seize the opportunity. He highlighted India’s wealth of exceptional computer scientists and indicated Nvidia’s eagerness to partner with the country in the emerging field of artificial intelligence.

• Huang noted that with India being the third largest country for startups, establishing robust AI infrastructure is essential to sustain this ecosystem.

• Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, emphasised the prime minister’s commitment to transforming India through his Digital India vision “We are proud to now make our Pixel phones manufactured in India,” Pichai said after the meeting.

• He added that PM Modi had urged tech CEOs to explore the application opportunities of artificial intelligence in various fields like healthcare, education etc, and how India can benefit from AI.