Bhubaneswar, March 16: As India enters a transformative phase driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital technologies and innovation-led growth, the future lay in creating intellectual property, technology platforms and innovation ecosystems which can deliver higher value globally, Dr. C.P.Gurnani, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of AlonOS and former CEO and Managing Director of Tech Mahindra, said on Tuesday.
India has long been known for its service-driven economy built on talent and scale and the next phase of growth will depend on moving from manpower-driven services to intelligence-driven systems, powered by AI and data technologies, Dr. Gurnani, also former Chairman of NASSCOM, said while delivering the 76th Distinguished Lecture of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) held at the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) here.
Dr. Gurnani said this shift represented a major opportunity for India to emerge as a global leader in innovation and digital transformation.
The INAE Distinguished Lecture was held in association with AIC-SOA Foundation, CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, ICT-IOC Bhubaneswar campus and IEEE, Bhubaneswar Section which was attended by academicians, researchers and students.
The lecture, titled ‘Service Economy to Innovation Economy: India’s AI Moment,’ was attended by senior academic leaders of the university, faculty members and students from various disciplines. The lecture also referred to the role of universities in nurturing AI talent, research collaborations and entrepreneurship to support India’s transition toward an innovation economy.
The session concluded with an interactive discussion where participants explored the implications of AI for industry, education and the future workforce.
The lecture provided a platform where eminent scientists, technologists and industry leaders shared their insights on emerging technological trends and national development priorities, said Prof. Damodar Acharya, Chairman International Advisory Board of SOA and Chairman of INAE Bhubaneswar Chapter.
Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda , Vice Chancellor of SOA also addressed the program which was hosted by Prof. Renu Sharma, Additional Dean (Student Affairs), Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER). It was also attended by Prof. Manas Kumar Mallick , Director, SOA, Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Dean (Students Welfare), Dr. Debendra Mohanta, CEO and President, Inaho Digital Solutions (IDS), Japan, Kei Yamaguchi, Japan.
