Mr. KONO Taro, Minister for Digital Transformation, delivered speech at “IIT Bombay Techfest” at Indian Institutes of Technology
Published on January 4, 2024
Minister Kono attended the “IIT Bombay Techfest 2023“ (*) held at the Indian Institutes of Technology Bombay (IITB) in Mumbai on December 28, 2023, and delivered a speech.
*The IIT Bombay Techfest, which celebrated its 27th anniversary in 2023, is a three-day festival of science and technology. This year, it was held from December 27 to 29 with a diverse program of lectures, workshops, and other events.
Speech at IIT Bombay Techfest 2023
Minister Kono delivered a speech on the topic “How humans maximize the power of digital technologies in the connected world“ at the IIT Bombay Techfest 2023. The speech was presented to an audience of around 300 students and stakeholders.
At the beginning, he praised the Indian government for its initiatives and achievements in addressing comprehensive issues through the digital API infrastructure. He then highlighted the significance of using advanced technologies such as AI and robotics to tackle demographic challenges, while introducing Japan's ongoing efforts and advancements in technological development to address the issues related to aging and depopulation. Furthermore, he emphasized the need for countries around the world to work together on cyber security measures in line with the evolution of emerging technologies.
He stated that the demand for IT talent is growing, and digital talent development has become a common issue worldwide, while underscoring that the exchange of digital talent between Japan and India will become increasingly important in the future.
After the lecture, the Minister visited the international exhibition on the campus and participated in a luncheon with the university president, other university-related officials, and the panelists of the day.
Site visit and exchange of views
1. Visit the National Stock Exchange of India
The Minister visited the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), which is renowned for being the world's first stock exchange to introduce full automation. During the visit, he had the opportunity to tour the exchange floor and had a discussion with Mr. Ashish Chouhan, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSE. The discussion involved many technical experts from NSE and focused on NSE's strengths built through digital technology, the workforce behind it, and the state of the digital environment. It offered valuable insights from the perspective of a leader of a digital organization, based on the CEO's experiences and the latest data.
Exchange views with the local Japanese companies
The Minister also met with companies belonging to the Japanese Association in Mumbai to exchange views about their initiatives in the digital field. They discussed the business prospects in India, where economic growth is expected to continue in the future.
