India News | “India No Longer a Follower, Now a Global Co-creator”: Jitendra Singh at ESTIC 2026
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said India had moved beyond the role of a follower in global innovation and was increasingly contributing to the creation of new technologies and solutions.
New Delhi [India], October 27 (ANI): Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said India had moved beyond the role of a follower in global innovation and was increasingly contributing to the creation of new technologies and solutions.
While addressing the inaugural session of the three-day conference, he said India's scientific, technological and innovation capabilities had strengthened its standing internationally, attracting thousands of experts and delegates, including three Nobel laureates, to the conclave.
"India is no longer a follower; it now beckons others to follow. India is no longer merely a collaborator; it has become a global co-creator. And India is no longer the India of the 20th century. Today's India is future-ready—it is Modi's India of the 21st century," he said.
Singh said the theme of ESTIC 2026, 'Creative Minds, Catalysing Science, Empowering Technologies', reflected India's growing confidence in its ability to contribute to global scientific progress.
"Despite the availability of talent, scientific capability and a strong work ethic among Indian scientists in the decades following Independence, the country had lacked the enabling environment and ecosystem required to realise its full potential. The gap was addressed through policy initiatives introduced after 2014," he added.
Recalling the contribution of India's scientific community, Singh referred to Vikram Sarabhai carrying scientific equipment on a bicycle, saying the country had never lacked talent or the determination to pursue scientific advancement.
"After all, there was never a shortage of talent in our country. Our scientists possessed the capability and the drive to work hard; they held aspirations in their eyes and dreams in their hearts. They were also driven by a profound passion for their work. Recall the images of Vikram Sarabhai, carrying his equipment on the carrier of a bicycle. In other words, what was lacking was the enabling environment, the kind of ecosystem expected from policymakers and political leadership and that void was filled in 2014," he added.
He credited the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with promoting an environment conducive to research and innovation, adding that the government had encouraged the private sector to participate in areas such as nuclear energy and space.
Singh said the Prime Minister had consistently highlighted science and technology in his Independence Day addresses from the Red Fort since 2014, referring to initiatives and programmes involving the COVID-19 vaccine, Gaganyaan, startups, the Deep Ocean Mission, Digital India and biotechnology.
He also highlighted the establishment of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, describing it as an important step towards strengthening India's research ecosystem.
Referring to the previous edition of the conclave, ESTIC 2025, Singh recalled the announcement of a Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund, which he said marked a significant step towards advancing research and innovation in the country.
Citing India's progress across several sectors, Singh said the country's startup ecosystem had grown from 350 startups to 2.5 lakh, placing India third globally. He also said India's space economy had expanded to USD 9 billion from a negligible presence, while the bio-economy had grown from USD 10 billion to nearly USD 200 billion.
"During this conclave, you made a landmark announcement: a Research, Development, and Innovation Fund of 1 lakh crore rupees. The result is that, in just 12–13 years, we have come a long way. In the startup ecosystem, we have grown from 350 to 250,000—placing us third globally. In the space economy, we have gone from a negligible presence to a $9 billion (USD) sector. The bio-economy has expanded from $10 billion (USD) to nearly $200 billion (USD)," he added.
Singh further highlighted India's improvement in the Global Innovation Index, saying the country's ranking had risen from 80th to 38th. "Our ranking in the Global Innovation Index has improved from 80th to 38th. The number of patents had increased from 42,763 to 1,10,375, representing a rise of 158 per cent," he said.
He added that India now ranked third globally in the number of science PhDs, compared with seventh earlier.
Singh said these developments had contributed to growing aspirations among the country's youth and reflected the transformation of India's scientific and technological landscape.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. PM Modi said India is moving from adopting technologies developed elsewhere to creating new technologies and developing solutions to global challenges.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi highlighted India's growing scientific capabilities and the confidence of its young innovators, citing the country's development of its own COVID-19 vaccine, the large-scale vaccination drive and the supply of vaccines to other countries as examples of its technological progress.
"I have had conversations with some startup founders. The scale at which India’s youth are thinking, and the self-confidence with which they are moving forward, is truly inspiring. I attended this conclave previously as well. This time, our discussion focuses on the theme of 'emerging science and technology.' Decades ago, for India, science and technology essentially meant catching up. When an innovation emerged elsewhere in the world, it would take years to reach us; we would then either adopt it or make minor improvements to it," PM Modi said.
He added that India had adopted a new approach towards science and technology in the 21st century, with a focus on developing original innovations and addressing challenges faced by the world.
"But today, 21st-century India is moving forward with a new mindset and a renewed sense of self-confidence. Our goal now is to create new technologies, define their trajectory, and develop the capacity to provide solutions to global challenges. We witnessed an example of this during the COVID-19 pandemic: while many nations across the globe faced significant challenges regarding vaccine availability, India developed its own vaccine, carried out a massive vaccination drive, and even supplied vaccines to other countries. This is the self-confidence of 21st-century India," he said. (ANI)
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