Strong policy push ensured India’s global digital economy leadership: Arundhati Bhattacharya (IANS Interview)

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The digital ecosystem in India has grown rapidly and this transformation — powered by a strong policy push, massive digital infrastructure rollout, and innovation — has placed India at the forefront of the global digital economy, said Arundhati Bhattacharya, President and CEO at Salesforce-South Asia, on Tuesday.

In an interaction with IANS, Bhattacharya, a Padma Shri recipient and former Chairperson of the State Bank of India (SBI), said the groundwork laid over the past decade is creating a strong base for technologies like AI to thrive.

Here are the excerpts:

Q1: India’s AI Mission is set to take a giant leap. What are your thoughts? How can Salesforce contribute?

Arundhati Bhattacharya: We have a huge number of AI-based solutions that Salesforce has implemented successfully across the globe. When we bring these best practices and showcase them to Indian companies, they can definitely adopt and benefit from them. These solutions help drive efficiency, innovation, and scalability in AI initiatives. I strongly believe that Salesforce can play a catalytic role in enabling India’s AI vision by helping businesses adopt global benchmarks.

Q2: Over the past 11 years under PM Modi’s government, India has witnessed tremendous growth in technology. What is your perspective?

Arundhati Bhattacharya: The digital ecosystem in India has grown rapidly. India now has one of the largest digitally enabled populations in the world. This transformation—powered by a strong policy push, massive digital infrastructure rollout, and innovation—has placed India at the forefront of the global digital economy. The groundwork laid over the past decade is creating a strong base for technologies like AI to thrive.

Q3: India needs more skilled people in AI. How can more jobs be created, and how can we bring more women into this workforce?

Arundhati Bhattacharya: Skilling is absolutely critical. The kind of skills required today are very different from those needed a few years ago. So, it’s not just about training the youth—it’s also about reskilling those already in the workforce.

At Salesforce, we have our own skilling platform called Trailhead, and we also collaborate with the National Skill Development Mission, AICTE for internships, and NASSCOM. We’re working with over 3,000 colleges where our courses are credit electives. These partnerships ensure widespread access to relevant training.

Bringing more women into the AI workforce requires targeted efforts—mentoring, inclusive skilling environments, flexible working opportunities, and a conscious push for diversity.

Q4: Can India become the AI capital of the world on the path to Viksit Bharat?

Arundhati Bhattacharya: India can become anything it wants to be. The real question is—how are we enabling and empowering our people? If we can provide the right policies, the right opportunities, and ensure widespread skill development, then yes, India absolutely has the potential to become the AI capital of the world. The scale is here, the ambition is here, and with the right nurturing, the outcome can follow.

Q5: You were recently conferred the Padma Shri. What does this recognition mean to you?

Arundhati Bhattacharya: I’m truly honoured and humbled. It was completely unexpected. The fact that the government saw it fit to confer this honour upon me fills me with deep gratitude. It’s a moment of pride, not just for me, but for every professional who has strived to make a difference.

–IANS

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The government will have the liberty to make decisions regarding the matter and submit its report to the High Court following its resolution. The next hearing is scheduled for May 2.

Earlier, on Thursday, the government requested a four-month extension for a final decision.

However, the High Court deemed four months excessive, stating that a decision could be made within two months.

The court was, however, open to granting up to three months if necessary.

Additional Advocate General Vigyan Shah presented his side on behalf of the government during the hearing in the High Court.

After the consent of all parties, the court gave two months for a decision instead of four months.

In such a situation, the state government will be able to take a decision independently at its level and will present its report in the court.

After the decision of the state government, the court will decide the points of decision, said officials.

During the two-month time given by the High Court, the status quo orders on recruitment will continue.

The ban on field posting and training of trainee SI will also continue.

The case involves multiple parties, including the petitioners, the government, and trainee sub-inspectors.

The petitioners argue that the recruitment should be cancelled, citing recommendations from the Special Operations Group (SOG), Police Headquarters, Accountant General, and the Cabinet Sub-Committee, all of which have suggested scrapping the recruitment process.

On the other hand, trainee sub-inspectors argue that they were not involved in the paper leak and have left other government jobs for this opportunity. They claim that cancelling the recruitment would be unjust to those who secured their positions legitimately.

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The SOG probe also uncovered cases where dummy candidates were deployed to take the exam on behalf of others.

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With the next hearing set for May 2, the future of the SI recruitment process remains uncertain as the government will be working on preparing its response.

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Telangana govt presents budget of over Rs 3 lakh crore

Hyderabad, March 19 (IANS) Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday presented a budget of Rs 3.04 lakh crore for 2025-26.

Presenting the second full-fledged budget of the Congress government in the state Assembly, he pegged the revenue and capital expenditure at Rs 2.26 lakh crore and capital expenditure at Rs 36,504 crore respectively.

“For the fiscal year 2025-26, I am proposing a total expenditure of Rs 3,04,965 crore, with revenue expenditure of Rs 2,26,982 crore and capital expenditure of Rs 36,504 crore,” he said.

In July last year, the Finance Minister presented a Rs 2.91 lakh crore budget for 2024-25.

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The industrial sector in Telangana provides employment to 22.5 per cent of the workforce. By adopting the “China +1” strategy, the government aims to develop Telangana into a global manufacturing hub in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, electric vehicles, and renewable energy.

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The state government has proposed reforms in the horizontal tax devolution, suggesting a shift away from the current “Per Capita Income Distance” criterion. Instead, it recommends assigning 50 per cent weightage to GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) to ensure a more equitable allocation of resources for states driving national economic growth, he said.

Stating that over the past decade, Telangana suffered numerous challenges, he said it was now progressing on the path of development.

With the ‘Telangana Rising 2050 vision’, the government is shaping its policies and programmes to drive sustainable progress. “Our strategic roadmap for the next decade envisions a five-fold expansion of the current $200 billion state economy into a trillion-dollar economy,” he added.

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India’s e-waste recycling capacity rises to 22.08 lakh tonnes per annum

New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) The reported processing capacity of 322 registered e-waste recyclers in India is 22,08,918.064 metric tonnes (MT) per annum and the processing capacity of 72 registered e-waste refurbishers is 92,042.18 MT per annum as on Feb 9, 2025, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh informed Parliament on Thursday.

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