As India celebrates National Technology Day, startup founders on country's technology journey and what makes it special

India is celebrating the National Technology Day today. The celebration of National Technology Day was started by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to honour Indian scientists, engineers and technologists, who worked for India's scientific and technological advancement and ensured the successful conduct of Pokhran tests in May 1998. Since then, National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11. India conducted Pokhran-II tests, a series of five nuclear explosions, in May 1998 at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. Srivatsa Katta, CTO, Rapido“On National Technology Day, it is important to recognise that the true value of innovation lies not just in building advanced technologies, but in creating meaningful impact at scale. Today, AI and machine learning are enabling smarter decision-making, greater operational efficiency, and more responsive digital ecosystems across industries. As technology continues to evolve, the focus must remain on building solutions that are scalable, inclusive, and purpose-driven innovations that simplify everyday experiences and contribute positively to society. As India continues to strengthen its position as a global technology powerhouse, the opportunity lies in building homegrown innovations that are not only world-class, but also deeply focused on solving real, everyday challenges for millions.”Ajit Venkatesh, Director, Globe MovingTechnology is not here to replace people in logistics; it is here to empower them. In an industry built on trust and care, digital tools allow our teams to work with greater speed, accuracy, and visibility. From real-time updates to automated workflows, innovation enables smarter decisions and stronger accountability at every stage of the journey. This National Technology Day, we celebrate the tools that support human expertise, strengthen customer confidence, and help us deliver with precision and purpose. Vikas Sharma, Founder, Blackcoat.ai-India does not need technology that replaces professionals. It needs technology that makes them unstoppable. AI in law is not about automation, it is about amplification. When the right tools reach the right minds, justice becomes faster, fairer and more within reach. That is the only version of progress worth building.Manas Pal, Co Founder, PedalStartNational Technology Day reflects how India has changed from a country consuming technology to one building it with speed, depth, and real market understanding. What stands out today is that founders are not waiting for perfect conditions. They are building from smaller cities, solving operational problems, creating global products, and proving that strong companies can come from anywhere in India. Technology is no longer limited to engineers or large enterprises. It has become accessible to young founders with ideas, internet access, and the ability to execute fast. That democratization of innovation is what will define India’s next decade.Harishanker Kannan, CEO & Co-founder, ScalefusionTechnology is entering a phase where its impact will be more nuanced. For about ten years now, technology has been big, brash, and fast-paced. Every advancement brought with it promises of speed, disruption, and transformation. Companies reacted to each new development by implementing system after system, expanding their infrastructure, and accelerating digitisation. However, there came a point where technology became heavier. Organizations now find themselves operating in environments where multiple systems, identities, applications, and policy controls are in constant interaction with one another, without necessarily having been built for such interplay. The focus is no longer on how much is implemented, but rather on how well it all works in concert. The coming age of technology is about efficiency, intelligence, and minimalism. Success will be driven by technology that creates the lightest burden, rather than adding to it. Because owning multiple “solutions” is not a solution. On National Technology Day, it seems fitting that we focus not just on innovation for the sake of novelty, but on innovation that restructures, stabilizes, and consolidates modern technology.Atul Ahuja, Area Vice President and General Manager, ElasticAs India marks National Technology Day with a focus on building a sustainable and self-reliant technology ecosystem, the country’s AI ambitions are beginning to move beyond experimentation and into enterprise-wide implementation. As per Deloitte’s report titled ‘The State of AI in the Enterprise’, nearly 40 percent of Indian organisations already report significant or full-scale AI adoption, while 94 percent expect AI investments to rise further over the next year. AI is now used in critical business functions, from strategic decision-making and cybersecurity to operations and customer engagement. At the same time, frontier and agentic AI models are expanding the scope of what enterprises expect from AI, pushing it beyond providing answers to being capable of reasoning, planning, and autonomous execution. This year’s emphasis on responsible AI and digital technologies also brings into focus a critical enterprise challenge: ensuring that increasingly autonomous systems remain accurate, trustworthy, and resilient as they scale. For a self-reliant India, the goal is clear: building a technology ecosystem where AI is not just autonomous, but inherently dependable and deeply informed by the context of the business it serves.Deepak Gupta, Co-Founder, Style LoungeTechnology Day reminds us that innovation becomes truly meaningful only when it reaches people beyond boardrooms, labs, and large enterprises. The next phase of technology must not only be intelligent, but also responsible, inclusive, and accessible. Whether it is AI, automation, digital platforms, or data-driven solutions, our real success will be measured by how effectively we solve everyday problems, empower small businesses, create new employment opportunities, and ensure that growth benefits every section of society. For India, responsible innovation means building technology that understands our diversity, languages, affordability challenges, and real ground-level needs. It should help a small salon owner get more customers, a recruiter hire faster, a student learn better, a doctor reach remote patients, and an entrepreneur scale with confidence. Technology should not widen gaps; it should bridge them. As we celebrate National Technology Day, we must remember that the future will belong to those who use innovation not just for efficiency and profit, but for trust, dignity, inclusion, and sustainable growth.