India is thinking decades ahead on technology self-reliance, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday, outlining a 20–25 year horizon to reduce the country's critical technology dependencies and build resilience against global supply disruptions.
A layered roadmap, not full self-sufficiency
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, Vaishnaw said the government is setting short-term goals for the next three to five years, medium-term targets for five to 15 years, and long-term goals stretching 20 to 25 years for building domestic capabilities in strategically important areas. The aim, he said, is for India to become a trusted partner in global technology supply chains rather than pursuing complete self-sufficiency.
Semiconductors and the ecosystem push
The minister said the second phase of India's semiconductor programme places far greater emphasis on the full ecosystem — materials, chemicals, gases and substrate materials — alongside chip design and manufacturing. "Without ecosystem, no manufacturing effort will ever pay off," he said. He also pointed to India's end-to-end 4G telecom stack, built in three-and-a-half years and now deployed on more than 100,000 towers, as proof that the model works.
On the economic backdrop, Vaishnaw said India's public debt-to-GDP ratio had declined from 61 per cent to 55 per cent over the past five years.
A partner's view
Cisco chairman and chief executive Chuck Robbins, who shared the session, said India's scale and its approach of building strategic capabilities while partnering with trusted companies offered a practical path towards technology sovereignty.
Sources: India aims to cut critical tech dependencies over 20-25 years, build resilience: Ashwini Vaishnaw | India plans 20-25-year roadmap to reduce critical technology dependencies: Ashwini Vaishnaw | 'We in India are thinking at least 20 years ahead': Ashwini Vaishnaw on cutting critical tech dependence
A layered roadmap, not full self-sufficiency
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, Vaishnaw said the government is setting short-term goals for the next three to five years, medium-term targets for five to 15 years, and long-term goals stretching 20 to 25 years for building domestic capabilities in strategically important areas. The aim, he said, is for India to become a trusted partner in global technology supply chains rather than pursuing complete self-sufficiency.
Semiconductors and the ecosystem push
The minister said the second phase of India's semiconductor programme places far greater emphasis on the full ecosystem — materials, chemicals, gases and substrate materials — alongside chip design and manufacturing. "Without ecosystem, no manufacturing effort will ever pay off," he said. He also pointed to India's end-to-end 4G telecom stack, built in three-and-a-half years and now deployed on more than 100,000 towers, as proof that the model works.
On the economic backdrop, Vaishnaw said India's public debt-to-GDP ratio had declined from 61 per cent to 55 per cent over the past five years.
A partner's view
Cisco chairman and chief executive Chuck Robbins, who shared the session, said India's scale and its approach of building strategic capabilities while partnering with trusted companies offered a practical path towards technology sovereignty.
Sources: India aims to cut critical tech dependencies over 20-25 years, build resilience: Ashwini Vaishnaw | India plans 20-25-year roadmap to reduce critical technology dependencies: Ashwini Vaishnaw | 'We in India are thinking at least 20 years ahead': Ashwini Vaishnaw on cutting critical tech dependence
