(MENAFN- Live Mint) Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday praised the growing alignment between government policy, governance and private enterprise, calling it a hallmark of India's“progressive policymaking and dynamic execution”.

Speaking at the launch of Google's Bharat AI Shakti initiative in New Delhi, Sitharaman said the project reflected how India's digital ambitions are increasingly being realized through close collaboration between public leadership and global technology firms.

She cited the landing of new undersea internet cables in Andhra Pradesh as a vivid example of that partnership.

“Several things can remain on paper, but execution happens only with visionary leadership,” Sitharaman said, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government with driving a wave of enabling policy reforms since 2014.

Also Read | Mint Explainer: Key policy changes in Nirmala Sitharaman's first stint as FM

The minister also commended Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for his early efforts to develop the state's information technology (IT ) ecosystem, calling the southern state“the right place to land in-and India, the right country to be in.”

Sitharaman said India's technology journey had been shaped by leaders with“tested and tried” vision, from Modi's tenure as Gujarat's chief minister to his current role as PM. India's approach, she added, had allowed it to lead rather than lag in adapting to new technologies.

“This is one of those very interesting phases in Indian history where policy is pushing ahead before politics can even process it,” she said, adding that a new form of“positive competition” among states and political parties is emerging to advance digital transformation.

Also Read | Globalization is a relic, India anchored in domestic strength, says Sitharaman

With initiatives like Bharat AI Shakti, Sitharaman said, India is positioning itself to achieve the developed-nation status by 2047, powered by innovation, inclusion, and forward-looking governance.

India AI vision

Meanwhile, information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw , also speaking at the event, welcomed Google's announcement of a $15 billion investment in India's digital infrastructure, calling it a major boost to the country's AI ambitions.

“This will go a long way in meeting the goals of our India AI vision,” he said.

Vaishnaw urged the company to help India's technology workforce adapt to the changes brought by AI.

“It's very important to reskill and upskill our IT professionals at a major, rapid scale,” he said, adding that anxiety about AI's impact on jobs could be addressed through training and new opportunities.

He also proposed expanding connectivity links through the Andaman & Nicobar Islands,“a strategic location that could become the next big global internet hub”, and suggested extending subsea cables from Visakhapatnam to Myanmar to enhance connectivity for India's northeast.

Also Read | Priority to pass on tax cut gains: Sitharaman

Vaishnaw said the Bharat AI Shakti hub could serve as a platform for developing a new category of digital services around AI, spurring youth employment and innovation.

He also welcomed Google's participation in India's forthcoming Common Compute Facility, which aims to expand domestic access to advanced AI computing infrastructure.

MENAFN14102025007365015876ID1110193126