Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday announced that India has emerged as a hub of aspirational youth, powered by science, technology, and innovation in the past 11 years.
Speaking at the ‘Economic Times Education Summit 2025’ in New Delhi, the Minister said that the rise of aspirations enabled by science and innovation bears testimony to the ease of living and the ease of doing research.
He credited India’s leadership over the past decade for creating an environment that allowed the country’s scientific talent to thrive.
“There was never a lack of talent in this country. What we lacked was an enabling environment to nurture it. PM Modi’s visionary leadership over the past decade has created that enabling ecosystem,” Singh said.
From developing next-generation combat technologies to executing advanced space missions—such as the successful landing near the Moon’s south pole—India has reached new heights over the past decade.
The Minister also highlighted recent progress in the field of biotechnology, citing the launch of the BIO-e3 Policy. He noted that the policy, which focuses on economy, employment, and environment, marks the beginning of a “biotech-driven revolution.”
He further noted India’s leadership in preventive healthcare, including the development of the world’s first DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine and executing the largest vaccination drive globally.
During the summit, Singh also spoke about the upcoming Axiom-4 mission, in which Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the mission pilot, taking part in a human spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. He said the mission reflects India’s emergence as an equal global partner in space exploration.
The Axiom-4 mission will feature indigenous biotechnology experiments—developed jointly by ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology—focusing on space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems using specially designed microgravity-compatible biotech kits.
“These kits have been conceptualised and validated by Indian scientists and will lay the foundation for long-duration human spaceflight research,” he added.