India Celebrates National Technology Day
India is celebrating National Technology Day today. The celebration was initiated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to honor Indian scientists, engineers, and technologists who contributed to India's scientific and technological advancement and ensured the successful conduct of the 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.
Startup Leaders Share Their Perspectives
Srivatsa Katta, CTO, Rapido
On National Technology Day, it is important to recognize 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 Moving
Technology 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, PedalStart
National 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, Scalefusion
Technology 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 digitization. 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, Elastic
As 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. According to Deloitte's report titled 'The State of AI in the Enterprise', nearly 40 percent of Indian organizations 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.
About the Author
The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. The TOI Tech Desk's news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports, and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and more, the TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.
