Noting that India is one of the leading digital economies in the world and the nation is digitally connecting on different scales, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that the threats of cybercrime are constantly on the rise.

“The solutions to cybercrime are crucial for India’s future,” the prime minister said while interacting with young innovators at the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2024, via video conferencing.

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Recalling speaking about cyber fraud in his recent Mann Ki Baat address, Modi said a large population is affected by this malice.

He underlined the need to constantly upgrade with the latest technology as cyber threats are constantly evolving at a fast pace.

The Prime Minister, highlighting the use of drones in various sectors of the country, cited the example of the Namo Drone Didi scheme. He also mentioned the use of drones for the transportation of medicines and essential supplies to remote areas in the country, whereas enemies use them for smuggling firearms and drugs across the border.

Modi expressed happiness that the young innovators are working with extreme seriousness to tackle such issues of national security. Their innovation, he said can give new dimensions to the export of defence technology.

He remarked that the world of the future is going to be driven by knowledge and innovation and youth were India’s hope and aspiration in changing situations.

Their perspective, thinking, and energy were different. Stressing that everyone’s aim was the same, the Prime Minister underscored that India should become the most innovative, progressive, and prosperous country in the world, he added.

Modi said the world was acknowledging that India’s strength was its youth power, who are innovative, and India’s tech power. He further added that the strength of India was clearly visible in all of them at the Smart India Hackathon.

The prime minister was pleased to note that Smart India Hackathon had become an excellent platform to make the youth of India globally the best. Since the inception of the Smart India Hackathon, about 14 lakh students participated in the event formed 2 lakh teams, and worked on about 3 thousand problems.

He noted that more than 6,400 institutions were associated with it while hundreds of new start-ups were born because of the hackathon.

The prime minister noted that more than 7 thousand ideas were submitted by students in 2017 while the number of these ideas had increased to more than 57 thousand this year. This, he said, showed how the youth of India had come forward to solve the challenges of its country.

Modi highlighted the government’s recent decision to launch the One Nation-One Subscription scheme, which has garnered global praise. This initiative provides access to international journals for India’s youth, researchers, and innovators, ensuring that no young person is deprived of valuable information. Under this scheme, the government is subscribing to prestigious journals, enabling widespread access to knowledge.

PM Modi emphasised the benefit this will bring to participants in hackathons and the broader goal of empowering Indian youth to compete with the world’s best minds. He reiterated that the government’s mission aligns with the vision of the youth, ensuring they have all the necessary support and infrastructure to succeed.