Union Budget 2020 Reaction By Prakash Mallya, VP & MD – Sales & Marketing Group, Intel India.

“The Union Budget highlights the role technology-enabled innovation can play in leapfrogging the nation. From integration in priority sectors like agriculture and healthcare to a continued focus on smart cities, the first budget of the new decade clearly outlines the significance of a digital-first India in realizing the country’s potential. I am especially encouraged by the efforts to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve disease detection and pre-emption as part of the PM Jan Arogya Yojana. Such applications of emerging technologies combined with the focus on increasing the penetration of fibre connectivity in the nation have the potential to fundamentally impact the lives of millions in the coming years.

Provisions to invest in and nurture local talent and entrepreneurship will go a long way in organizing India’s workforce and equipping them with the skills and measures needed to continue to innovate for India and for the world. Policies and investments enabling data centres and quantum computing and applications will help India spur the development of new breakthroughs across sectors.

With the government’s target of a $5 trillion economy by 2024, Intel believes that technologies like AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and ML will continue to play a pivotal part in this journey. We look forward to further strengthening our work with the local ecosystem and with the government in enabling technology innovation and skilling India’s workforce to power the next wave of India’s digital revolution”