Reset ambitions for trillion-dollar tech future by 2035, Goyal tells industry

New Delhi: Calling on India’s technology sector to scale up its global ambitions, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday urged the industry to target a trillion-dollar opportunity by 2035, backed by artificial intelligence (AI), data centres and clean energy infrastructure, the commerce ministry said in a statement.

Launching NITI Frontier Tech Hub’s road map report, Reimagination Ahead, in New Delhi, Goyal said that India should aim for at least 10 gigawatts (GW) of data centre capacity by 2030 and position itself as a global hub for AI-driven technology services. The next phase of growth must be driven by applied AI, large-scale reskilling, domestic value creation and retention of talent within the country, Goyal stressed.

The minister said that India’s digital base—nearly one billion internet users, among the highest per capita data consumption globally, and rapid AI adoption—provides a strong foundation for expansion. Affordable data, widespread 5G rollout, and work towards 6G capabilities have helped build what he described as a $250-300 billion technology services ecosystem.

Linking the technology push with infrastructure reforms, Goyal cited the New Telecom Policy of 1999 under former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a turning point that made connectivity affordable.

Goyal also pointed to the strengthening of the unified national power grid after 2014, with installed capacity now at around 500 GW, including 250 GW of clean energy.

India’s renewable capacity has expanded sharply in recent years, supported by reverse bidding that brought solar tariffs down to nearly ₹2.31-2.41 per unit and wind tariffs to about ₹2.50 per unit. The country currently supplies 24-hour clean energy at under ₹6 per kilowatt hour and aims to reach 500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030.

AI education for all

Goyal said that recent budget announcements offering income tax benefits till 2047 for certain investments are expected to boost foreign direct investment, create jobs and strengthen the broader data centre ecosystem. Clean energy integration, nuclear expansion, pumped storage, battery storage, green hydrogen and green ammonia initiatives, he added, would further enhance India’s competitiveness.

On artificial intelligence, the minister said that AI will augment human capabilities but stressed that cybersecurity, data integrity and human validation will remain critical. He called for widespread AI education among business leaders, policymakers and decision-makers to ensure effective and responsible adoption.

Proposing a structured, industry-led engagement model, with the government acting as a facilitator, he said that ministries including the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity), commerce and industry, department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), education and skill development, along with Niti Aayog and industry bodies such as Nasscom, should hold regular consultations. He suggested dedicating one Saturday every month to structured dialogue to resolve emerging issues.

Goyal also underlined the need for coordination with states to streamline single-window clearances, land approvals and power access, particularly for high-intensity AI and data centre operations.

The push comes at a time when countries are competing aggressively to attract data centre investments and AI research hubs amid rising geopolitical tensions and supply chain shifts. Analysts say India’s advantage lies in its scale, talent pool and cost competitiveness, but execution—particularly on energy reliability, land acquisition and regulatory clarity—will determine whether the trillion-dollar ambition translates into sustained gains.