India’s Technological Journey: A Conversation with Dhruva Jaishankar
By Liliana Hogan
The India Center hosts a discussion on innovation, global partnerships, and the future of technology in India.
On January 30, The India Center at UCF launched its Annual India Lecture Series with a timely talk by Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of ORF America. Jaishankar led a discussion titled “India’s Quest for Technology,” exploring the nation’s evolving role in global innovation.
The event explored India’s evolving relationship with technology and its role in shaping the country’s global standing.
The conversation traced India’s technological progress since independence in 1947, highlighting both achievements and ongoing challenges. Jaishankar, who recently authored Vishwa Shastra: India and the World, shared insights from his research and writing, emphasizing how technology has become central to India’s development and international engagement.
The India Center’s Director, Yogesh Joshi, Ph.D., opened the event by underscoring the importance of the topic. “Technology is central to India’s quest for becoming an advanced economy,” he noted.
Jaishankar echoed this perspective by highlighting pivotal moments in India’s post-independence innovation journey and the strategic decisions that have shaped its technological growth. “One is diversification of India’s partners,” he explained, citing collaborations with countries such as the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, and Russia. He added that “there has been a concerted attempt at reducing export controls,” which has further enabled access to emerging technologies.
These shifts, he noted, have had a significant impact—particularly in defense-related sectors. Looking ahead, Jaishankar pointed to key areas where India is poised to advance, including cybersecurity, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and telecommunications.
The event captured The India Center’s commitment to sparking meaningful conversations about modern India and its place in the world—giving students and community members a chance to dive into the ideas and innovations shaping the country’s tech-driven future.