India Must Lead as a Tech Power in New World Order, Says Ram Madhav
Madhav said that only nations with a bold, forward-looking vision could seize a leadership role in the shifting world order.
Hyderabad: Former BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday said India needed to chart a bold path for itself as a global middle power, and emphasised the need to embrace technology, innovation, and strategic vision to shape the emerging world order.
At an event organised to the launch of his latest book, ‘The New World: 21st Century Global Order and India’, Madhav argued that India must move beyond outdated models centred on trade and capitalism, and instead strive to become a major capital power and a technology-driven society.
Highlighting global power shifts, particularly the intensifying China-United States rivalry, he said that India’s ascent depends on leveraging technology and strategic autonomy. “It is time for India to stop following the curve and start leading it,” Madhav noted, underscoring the significance of adopting a pragmatic mindset.
He pointed out India’s minimal investment in research and development — just one per cent of GDP compared to China’s 6.5 per cent — urged the government and companies to accelerate spending on innovation to propel India into the ranks of top global powers.
He praised the country’s fintech revolution and called for building a strong ‘Bharat brand’ that capitalises on India’s unique demographic dividend — provided it is managed wisely.
Madhav said that only nations with a bold, forward-looking vision could seize a leadership role in the shifting world order. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s target of achieving a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047, describing it as a fitting ambition.
With India rapidly scaling investments in frontier areas like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, Madhav urged entrepreneurs, industries, and academia to take on proactive roles in driving this transformation.
His new book delves into a broad sweep of themes — from the rise and fall of global powers, technological disruption, and demographic trends, to the erosion of post-1945 institutions and the prospects for India’s rise.
It explores the journey “from Homo sapiens to Meta sapiens,” critiques declining Western influence, and discusses how technology and innovation will define the 21st century.
India’s former ambassador to Russia, Venkatesh Varma, praised the book as “outstanding,” noting that Ram Madhav brings both analytical depth and practitioner’s insight to his exploration of turbulent global dynamics. He expressed hope that the work would elevate India’s foreign policy thinking to a new level.
Dr Rupa Vasudevan, founder and chancellor of Bharateeya Engineering Science and Technology, introduced the book, and Prof Krishnadeva Rao, vice chancellor of NALSAR, Hyderabad, along with BJP Telangana president N. Ramchander Rao, attended the event. The gathering included scholars, policymakers, business leaders, and students.
