Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, today stated that in this era of the new industrial and knowledge revolution, particularly with the rise of AI (Artificial Intelligence), India will emerge not only as a service provider nation but also as a major technology creator. He was speaking at a programme organised by a private media house in Mumbai.

He praised the robust startup ecosystem in the country and highlighted that India is one of the top three nations in the world with the highest number of startups. The Union Minister also mentioned that the government is deeply committed to clean, sustainable energy and that by the end of this year, 100% of Indian Railways will run on electricity.

Talking about the railways, Mr. Vaishnaw informed that in the last decade, 45,000 kilometres of railways have been electrified. He emphasised that technology is being widely applied across the railway sector.

Speaking at the same programme, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, informed that discussions regarding the reduction and rationalisation of GST rates and the number of slabs are in the final stages and will soon be sent for review. Commenting on the current geopolitical dynamics, Ms. Sitharaman said that India must view the challenges posed by this situation as an opportunity to emerge stronger.