When chips were down, your code kept things running

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded the Information and Technology (IT) sector for remarkable growth even when the world was battling with Covid-19.

"When the chips were down, the core of India's IT industry kept things running. The last year's statistics may surprise the world, but India isn't surprised knowing your ability. When every sector was severely affected by the pandemic, you registered a growth of 2%," Modi said while addressing NASSCOM Technology & Leadership Forum (NTLF).

The Prime Minister said that in a major move, policies regarding mapping and geospatial data have been liberalised. It will, in turn, empower the tech start-up eco-system and the mission of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

With the National Digital Communication Policy, the government has attempted to remove needless regulations out of the tech industry to allow future leadership to develop, he said.

"Every Indian in New India is impatient for development. Our government understands how our youth feels about it. The aspirations of 130 crore Indians push us to move faster," Modi said.

To promote start-ups and young entrepreneurs, the PM said the government is promoting self-certification so as they use every opportunity across the world.

He hailed his government's Digital India Mission saying the products and solutions built by the IT industry have become a part of governance in the last six years.

Modi said digitalisation also helped in curbing black money.

"In the last three-four years, India has turned from a heavily-cash-dependent society to a less-cash society. The more digital transactions take place, the lesser the black money would come into circulation."

"India is not of ideas, it needs mentors who can turn ideas into reality," he added.