Tech convergence will define India's geopolitical position: Minister

The convergence of emerging technologies including space systems, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, semiconductors and high-performance computing will be decisive in determining a nation's geopolitical positioning in the coming years, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said Sunday.

Addressing an event organised by the Space Applications Centre, ISRO and the Department of Science on the occasion of the 3rd National Space Day, Shekhawat emphasised that technological advancement across these interconnected domains will fundamentally transform how societies function and compete globally.

The minister defended India's move to open the space sector to private enterprise, characterising it as the "democratisation of space opportunities" rather than a dilution of state institutions like ISRO. He stressed that increased private participation complements rather than undermines the critical role played by the national space agency in India's space programme.

Shekhawat underscored that the current era is defined by rapid innovation across multiple technological frontiers. As these disciplines increasingly integrate and build upon one another, he suggested, nations that effectively harness their synergies will establish themselves as significant geopolitical actors in the decades ahead.