Kant underlines the importance of data centres
The rapid adoption of frontier technologies such as AI, Blockchain, and IoT and the advent of COVID-19 has placed the entire digital infrastructure under immense pressure, according to Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.
“With the government progressively working towards goals such as Smart Cities and Smart Health, it is crucial for the nation to augment its digital infrastructure to effectively utilize the frontier technologies in economic development,” he told a virtual session on Collaboration between Industry and Science during the Global R&D Summit 2020, organized jointly by the Department of Science and Technology and FICCI.
“With surging online activities and a gigantic amount of data being generated, data centres could be of high importance for the world,” he added.
He underlined the government’s focus on high-quality public and private R&D and digital is the future both in the private and public sector.
“If you want the economy to progress, manufacturing to take a jump forward, and to improve social sectors like health, education, and nutrition, going digital is the way forward. Digital infrastructure is far more critical and important than physical infrastructure,” he emphasized.
Kant stated that the need of the hour is to promote and create a framework for the development of a robust digital infrastructure, which could facilitate the adoption of emerging technologies like 5G, IoT, AI, ML, drones, robotics, etc.
These technologies can be used in sectors like defence, health, agriculture, cybersecurity and smart cities and automation with special emphasis on solving real-life problems, he added.
There is an immediate need to develop a local supply chain network that has been recognized and efforts in this direction through the PLI scheme would adequately support the indigenous electronic manufacturing.
“The Atmanirbhar Bharat policy could give the much-needed fillip to the country’s disruptive business operations by promoting indigenous manufacturing, encouraging substitution of imports of low technology goods and encouraging local produce at lower prices.
“Industry should develop short-term strategies and calibrated decision making in order to address disruptions caused due to the pandemic,” Kant added. #AI #ML #technologies #IoT #projects #investments /fiinews.com
