PM Modi attends ‘fruitful’ tech CEOs roundtable in New York

New York, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a “fruitful” roundtable with the CEOs of leading American tech companies, where he emphasised India’s growth prospects and discussed initiatives to foster bilateral collaborations across various sectors. The meeting took place at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on Sunday during the second leg of Modi’s three-day US visit. It saw the participation of CEOs of 15 major US-based firms working on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum computing and semiconductors.

“Had a fruitful roundtable with tech CEOs in New York, discussing aspects relating to technology, innovation and more. Also highlighted the strides made by India in this field. I am glad to see immense optimism towards India,” Modi said in a post on X.

During the conference, Modi said technology collaboration and efforts such as the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET) lie at the core of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, according to a Ministry of External Affairs press release.

The prime minister stressed that in his third term, India will make every effort to become the third largest economy in the world, and encouraged the companies to take advantage of India’s growth story for collaboration and innovation.

“They can co-develop, co-design, and co-produce in India for the world, harnessing the opportunities from India’s economic and technological growth,” the press release said.

Organised by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering, the CEOs of top US tech firms, including Google CEO Pichai, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayena, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang attended the conference.

Others who participated in the roundtable include AMD CEO Lisa Su, HP Inc. CEO Enrique Lores, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Dr Noubar Afeyan, Chairman of Moderna, and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg.

Assuring the business leaders of India’s deep commitment to the protection of intellectual property and to fostering tech innovation, Modi highlighted the economic transformation happening in the country, particularly in electronics and information technology manufacturing and semiconductors.

Modi asserted that his government was committed to making India a “global hub of semiconductor manufacturing”.

He also talked about India’s BIO E3 (biotechnology for environment, economy and employment) policy to develop the country into a biotech powerhouse and on the topic of AI, noted that India’s policy is to promote AI for All, underpinned by its ethical and responsible use.

The CEOs appreciated India’s growing prominence as a global technology hub, driven by its innovation-friendly policies and flourishing market opportunities. They also expressed strong interest in investing and collaborating with India, agreeing that investing in startups would be a synergistic opportunity to innovate and develop newer technologies in the country.

Others who attended the conference include Biogen Inc CEO Chris Viehbacher, CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb, Chris Boerner, Eli Lilly and Company CEO David A. Ricks, LAM Research CEO Tim Archer, GlobalFoundries CEO Thomas Caulfield, and the CEO of Kyndryl, Martin Schroeter.