Technology Acquisition and Development: Challenges for Digital India

The talk explores India's journey through the digital transformation that began in the 1980s, focusing on how the country acquired critical digital and networking capabilities. It examines key policy shifts — from prioritizing software exports in the 1990s to the more recent push for self-reliance through "Make in India" and the "zero net import" objective in electronics. The discussion highlights the evolving strategies, trade-offs, and challenges in building a robust digital ecosystem. It concludes with insights on what India must do to meet its current technological ambitions.