Time For India To Become Global Innovation Leader, Says Trivedi

Nagpur: Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday told students at VNIT's AXIS festival that India must move from adopting technology to leading global innovations. He said the country's digital payment system has already surpassed the combined numbers of the United States and China.Addressing faculty and students, Trivedi said India now accounted for 49% of global digital transactions. "Even if you combine the USA and China, India is ahead of them," he said. Trivedi said that last year UPI surpassed Visa to become the largest digital payment system in the world."Japan's Prime Minister made a digital payment in a Delhi market. When Emmanuel Macron visited India, he made a digital payment at a roadside tea stall in Jaipur. Countries from whom we once learned are now surprised at India's transformation," he said.Trivedi cited a sharp fall in data costs as a key enabler of inclusion. "About 10-12 years ago, 1 GB data used to cost over Rs300 per month, whereas now it has come down to around Rs28 per month," he said.The MP said over 6,300 institutions now had access to global research journals through a national portal, with more than 11 crore papers downloaded in 2025 alone. On future opportunities, Trivedi pointed to a Rs30,000 crore allocation for artificial intelligence and Rs6,000 crore for quantum technologies, alongside national missions in green hydrogen and renewable energy.Urging students to think beyond replication, Trivedi said, "By following existing technology, you can become prosperous, but to lead the world, you must innovate and change the paradigm of technology".Trivedi linked Nagpur's position as India's geographical centre while highlighting its role as a hub of nationalist thought. He also flagged demographic changes in European countries."Europe is poised to witness a demographic problem due to the rising number of Muslims immigrants. As much as 25% of the population below the age of 20 years is Muslim in European countries. These are migrants from countries like Syria and other Arabian countries. European nations may not have enough native people to join their armed forces," Trivedi said.