India is working to strengthen its technology capabilities and reduce vulnerabilities as geopolitical tensions, changing trade policies and global supply chain disruptions create new challenges. Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the country aims to become a trusted partner for global technology companies and nations while building stronger domestic capabilities.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Summit, Vaishnaw said India is focusing on “strategic dependencies”. The approach involves prioritising domestic design, manufacturing and product development while continuing to work with other countries for essential parts of the technology value chain.
The strategy does not mean complete self-sufficiency in every area. Instead, India wants to identify critical dependencies that could expose its production systems and economy to external disruptions and develop the capabilities needed to address them.
Vaishnaw highlighted the importance of developing a complete manufacturing ecosystem, particularly in sectors such as semiconductors. He cited the mobile phone industry as an example of how domestic manufacturing capabilities can develop over time. India initially focused on assembling mobile phones before expanding into modules and component manufacturing. The country now produces several components for domestic requirements and has also begun exporting some of them.
The government is following a similar approach in semiconductors, railway systems and defence manufacturing. Vaishnaw stressed that manufacturing investments need a wider supporting ecosystem to succeed. “Without ecosystem, no manufacturing effort will ever pay off,” he said.
The strategy emphasises domestic expertise and production capacity while maintaining partnerships with international companies that contribute to the wider supply chain.
Vaishnaw also highlighted the need to prepare for future economic and technological disruptions. He pointed to the potential impact of artificial intelligence on employment, particularly in the services sector, as well as financial pressures arising from debt levels in advanced economies.
He said these developments could create significant challenges in the coming years, making financial, economic and technological resilience important for India. The minister also noted that India’s public debt-to-GDP ratio had declined from 61% to 55% over the past five years.
India’s strategy combines domestic capability building with international cooperation, aiming to reduce exposure to global disruptions while remaining a reliable partner in international technology supply chains.
