Year-End Review 2024: MeitY’s Digital Leap

31 Dec 2024 CW Team

In 2024, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) spearheaded significant initiatives to advance India's digital growth, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and skill development. These efforts aimed to democratise technology, foster innovation, and cement India's position as a global technology leader. Semiconductor Manufacturing under the Semicon India Programme Several major projects received approval under the Semicon India Programme, marking a pivotal year for semiconductor manufacturing in India: 1. Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL): Approved for a Semiconductor Fab facility in partnership with Taiwan's PSMC. The Rs 915.26 billion (bn) project aims for a production capacity of 50,000 wafer starts per month. Additionally, TEPL’s Rs 271.2 bn OSAT facility will leverage indigenous packaging technologies with a capacity of 48 million units per day. 2. CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited: Approved for a Rs 75.84 bn OSAT facility in partnership with global leaders like Renesas Electronics (Japan) and STARS Microelectronic (Thailand). The facility will produce 15.07 million units per day. 3. Kaynes Technology India Limited (KTIL): Approved for an OSAT facility in Gujarat with a Rs 33.07 bn investment and a production capacity exceeding 6.33 million chips daily. The INDIAai portal, a collaborative initiative by MeitY, NeGD, and NASSCOM, serves as a comprehensive platform for AI developments in India. Currently, it hosts over: • 2,800 articles, 1,175 news items, and 334 videos. • Listings of 472 startups, 164 research reports, and 184 government initiatives. The AIRAWAT project, featuring a 200-petaflop mixed-precision AI machine (scalable to 790 petaflops), ranked 75th in the Global Supercomputing List. This achievement underscores India's emergence as a global leader in AI supercomputing. The IndiaAI program emphasises inclusion, ethics, and innovation. Key pillars include AI skilling, responsible AI, data governance, and establishing a National Centre for AI. MeitY has also published a detailed IndiaAI Report outlining next steps to achieve "AI for All."

India, a leading Global South economy, was elected Incoming Council Chair of GPAI in 2022 and became Lead Chair in 2024. Hosting the 6th GPAI Ministerial Council Meeting in New Delhi highlighted India’s global leadership in ethical AI development. Several high-impact projects were approved under EMC 2.0, including: • Hyderabad Knowledge City, Telangana: A R 1.04 bn Common Facility Centre to support prototyping and validation. • New Energy Park, Telangana: A Rs 5.69 bn project, attracting investments of Rs 105.74 bn and generating over 19,000 jobs. • Tamil Nadu EMC, Sriperumbudur: With a Rs 4.24 bn investment, it has already attracted Rs 87.37 bn in investments and created over 36,000 jobs. • Karnataka EMC, Mysuru: A Rs 2.21 bn project, with three companies committing Rs 15.91 bn investments. Nine additional projects under the SPECS scheme received approval, with a combined proposed investment of Rs 79.60 bn and the potential to generate 15,710 jobs. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) The initiative trained 6.39 crore individuals nationwide, surpassing its target of 6 crore. Significant strides in digital literacy were noted in both rural and urban areas, facilitated by increased smartphone usage and internet penetration. Skill Development in Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) Two government-backed schemes trained over 4.93 lakh candidates (against a target of 4.18 lakh), with 1.36 lakh placed in the ESDM sector. A "Place & Train" model ensured industry-aligned skilling, supported by 320 participating industries. IT for Masses Programme Since 2006, 124 projects under this initiative have directly benefited 5.56 lakh women and over 1.7 lakh individuals from SC/ST communities, fostering inclusive growth in underserved regions. Cybersecurity Initiatives The Cyber Surakshit Bharat (CSB) program continued to strengthen digital security through advanced CISO training and cybersecurity drills. CERT-In onboarded 388 organizations to the Cyber Swachhta Kendra for proactive cyber threat management. BHASHINI: India’s Language Translation Platform The BHASHINI platform, launched under the National Language Technology Mission, supports 17 Indian languages, facilitating over 100 million monthly inferences. The platform's mobile apps have garnered over 700,000 downloads, offering 100+ use cases across sectors. BHASHINI received several awards, including the Digital Trailblazer Award and ET Government Award for AI and Predictive Technologies.

National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) In 2024, three PARAM Rudra Supercomputers were deployed at key institutions across India. These supercomputers, built with indigenous hardware and software, enhance research in physics, earth sciences, and cosmology. With 33 supercomputers now operational, NSM supports over 10,000 researchers, including those in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

Infrastructure Transport

01 Sep 2025

Indian Railways Marks New Milestone with 4.5 km Long ‘Rudrastra’ Trial

Indian Railways has successfully conducted the trial run of Asia’s longest freight train, named ‘Rudrastra’, achieving a new milestone in cargo transportation, as per news reports. The 4.5 km-long train began its trial from Ganjkhwaja railway station in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh, and travelled to Garhwa in Jharkhand. Covering a distance of 209 km in 5 hours and 10 minutes, it maintained an average speed of 40.5 km per hour. The train was formed by combining three long-haul racks, with ..

UltraTech Launches India’s First On-Site Hybrid RTC Renewable Energy Project

UltraTech Cement has operationalised a 7.5 MW round-the-clock (RTC) hybrid renewable energy project at its Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The first-of-its-kind solution combines bifacial solar modules with trackers, wind energy and battery storage, co-located on-site, to ensure uninterrupted power for cement manufacturing without grid reliance. The project was executed in collaboration with clean energy solutions provider Gentari. Installed as a behind-the-meter system, it is the country..

Patna Metro Trials Successful, Red Line Priority Corridor to Launch This Month

Patna is set to roll out its first metro rail service later this month, with successful trial runs conducted on the Red Line priority corridor, the Patna Metro Rail Corporation announced.On 7 September, a metro train completed a test run between the Patna depot and Bhootnath station. Officials said the trials involved rigorous checks of rolling stock fitness, overhead electrification (OHE), and track alignment and stability to ensure operational safety and performance.The corridor from the New Pataliputra Bus Terminal to Bhoothnath has been designated as the priority stretch and will be the fi..