DeepSeek, Fund Of Funds To GCC, How Tech & Finance Sector Leaders Reacted
Founder, Director of Avaali Solutions Pvt Ltd, Ms. Srividya Kannan’s article published in ndtvprofit website.
Technology and financial sector leaders have reacted to the Budget 2025 proposals announced today by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Know what Aalok Kumar, Arun Awasthy, Srividya Kannan, Bruce Keith and others had to say about everything from DeepSeek, GCC, Fund of Funds, artificial intelligence, skilling, technology, innovation to research.
Warren Harris, CEO And MD, Tata Technologies: “The budget’s focus on establishing a National Manufacturing Mission aligns with our goal of engineering in India for ‘Make in India’ and enhancing the nation’s self-reliance in manufacturing. This initiative is poised to attract investments and improve efficiency, positioning Indian companies as globally competitive players.
The establishment of five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling is a pivotal move in building a future-ready workforce. This initiative resonates with our commitment to engineering a better future for India’s youth through investment in in-demand training programmes across Industry 4.0, IoT, and advanced manufacturing, and collaborating with state governments to upgrade ITIs into technology hubs.
Additionally, the allocation of Rs. 500 crore for a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for education underscores the importance of fostering innovation and research in AI, which will benefit both the education sector and the broader technology landscape.”
Aalok Kumar, President And CEO, NEC Corporation India:
“The Union Budget 2025 is a welcome step towards accelerating India’s economic vision and unlocking its full growth potential. The budget also places a forward-looking emphasis on technology and skilling. Initiatives like the Deeptech Fund of Funds, Centres of Excellence for AI in Education, and expansion infrastructure across the nation’s most prestigious technical institutes demonstrate a strong commitment to nurturing India’s unmatched talent, innovation and research.
The establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs in schools and National Centres of Excellence for Skilling reflect this Budget’s focus on retaining the Indian edge in the technology domain and STEM Education. No doubt this will accelerate our innovation capabilities, particularly in emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing.”
Arun Awasthy, President And Managing Director, Johnson Controls, India:
“The Union Budget 2025 marks a decisive step forward in strengthening urban infrastructure, manufacturing, and public-private partnerships (PPPs), all of which are critical to India’s long-term economic growth.
The Rs 1,500 crore allocation to solar grid development reinforces India’s commitment to green energy, and ensures that India’s economic growth is realised in alignment with our sustainability goals, and rendered future proof. Furthermore, The National Manufacturing Mission is a game-changer for India’s self-reliance, focusing on clean-tech manufacturing and bolstering industrial growth.”
Srividya Kannan, Founder And CEO, Avaali:
“A key decision by the government to drive the digital economy is the formation of a national framework for promoting Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in emerging Tier-II cities. This move is set to boost employment growth and position India as a hub for high-value global services.
Investment in AI Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in education is a positive step towards the adoption of emerging technologies in key industries. Additionally, the expansion of infrastructure in the five IITs established after 2014, including increasing capacity for 6,500 more students and enhancing hostel and other facilities at IIT Patna, is a significant move towards strengthening India’s tech workforce.”