At the grand stage of the CII Annual Business Summit 2025, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, painted a powerful picture of India’s journey into a future shaped by Artificial Intelligence. With the voice of a visionary and the urgency of a reformer, Mittal said AI is not just a tool but a tectonic shift, more transformative than even the internet era.
He warned of the double-edged nature of AI, which is reshaping industries and threatening traditional jobs. “Even a layperson can now speak to a machine to write code,” he observed, pointing to the disruption in software engineering and the wider tech landscape. With twenty million children in India today aged between six and sixteen, Mittal underlined that this demographic will soon flood the job market. “AI will create difficulties in that area. Some parts are clearly visible today,” he added with concern.
Yet, he firmly believes in AI’s potential to birth new industries and roles. “Using AI will become absolutely important for everyone, especially in emerging countries like India,” Mittal said, underscoring the necessity of adapting rather than resisting.
He made a passionate call for policy transformation to help industry flourish. Among his recommendations were streamlining GST, making business easier, and revisiting corporate taxes to be globally competitive. “The dream of Viksit Bharat needs acceleration,” he said, inviting businesses to co-create policies with the government to fast-track development.
Mittal also highlighted India’s greatest advantage — its youth. As many developed nations age and close immigration doors, India stands tall with a young and dynamic population. But this potential, he stressed, must be honed. He urged industry and academia to form deep alliances to nurture a future-ready workforce in fields like AI, clean energy, next-gen telecom, and space tech.
His concern over India’s meagre R&D spending was crystal clear. With less than one percent of GDP invested, he called on private players to lead the charge. “Our large domestic market gives us scale, but we need intellectual leadership too,” he said, advocating for a vibrant innovation ecosystem.
Mittal wrapped up with a plea for a renewed trade strategy. He said India must shift focus to value-added exports. “No raw material should leave our shores without value addition,” he declared.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter |The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Whatsapp Channel | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Instagram
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
