CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Monday said that achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 can only be technology-driven and stressed that India’s population must master emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to realise that vision. He was delivering the inaugural address at the 14th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave organised by The New Indian Express.
Stating that becoming a developed nation by the centenary of Independence is “not merely an aspiration but a necessity”, he warned that failure to achieve the goal would have serious consequences. He said the transformation requires a revolutionary approach to education, as embedded in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Drawing on history, the Governor said India was once an economic powerhouse, leading the world in textile exports, agriculture and metallurgy among other fields before being crushed by colonialisation. After colonisation, Europe rose to dominance on the strength of technologies such as gunpowder and the steam engine, leading the world for nearly 300 years, he said.
“The journey of human civilisation has always been on the back of technology,” he noted, adding that the balance of power shifted in the mid-20th century when the United States acquired nuclear technology, altering the global military order and moving influence from England to America. He said the US retained its dominance by continuing to innovate, particularly leading in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Every major technological breakthrough, he said, has widened the gap between those who possess it and those who do not. Artificial intelligence, he cautioned, would deepen that divide further. “AI is a transformative technology that empowers individuals and nations,” he said, adding that India must develop its own domain-specific AI models instead of merely replicating the high-energy-consuming Silicon Valley model.
He said literacy in the coming years would increasingly be judged by whether a person is AI-literate. Those who understand artificial intelligence and know how to use it will be empowered by these tools. Those who do not, he cautioned, risk being controlled by them instead. “The choice before us is simple- whether we use the instrument, or allow the instrument to use us. We must adapt technology as much as we can and saturate ourselves,” he said, describing AI as an essential and extremely powerful technology.
Highlighting initiatives of the Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he cited India’s leadership in digital payments, women operating drones and missions for specific technologies, including AI, quantum technology and nanotechnology. He said research funding has increased and foundational infrastructure in schools and colleges has been aligned with policy goals.
Referring to Atal Tinkering Labs set up in 10,000 schools, with plans to expand to 50,000, he said students must be encouraged to experiment freely. Higher education institutions have been advised to establish innovation centres and promote experiential learning, while strengthening industry-academia collaboration so that knowledge is not merely theoretical but application-oriented. He added that start-ups and intellectual property rights applications have grown manifold in the past decade, effectively leveraging the country’s demographic dividend.
Welcoming stakeholders to the 14th edition of the Think Education Conclave, Prabhu Chawla, Editorial Director of TNIE, said the platform has grown into a powerhouse of ideas and a global gathering of minds. Since its inception in 2012, the conclave has hosted 585 sessions with 20,280 attendees. Former Vice Presidents, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, bureaucrats, diplomats, academics, artists and industry leaders have lent their voices to the discussions, he said.
Stating that India stands at a crucial juncture, he said the country has the world’s largest youth population, who have intelligence and unmatched energy. “The power to lead the global economy is already ours, but only if we strive hard through education.”
Highlighting the scale of India’s higher education system, he said that in 2025, 52 million students entered higher education and nine million are set to graduate this year, with enrolment growing at nearly 15% annually. “The numbers are impressive, but quantity is not a marker of quality,” he cautioned.
“Our youth are not statistics; they are the architects of the future. We must ensure that no one is left behind in the education system. Rural India must rise alongside urban India, and the gap between cities and villages must close,” he added.