Tech firms welcome Budget, want focus on digitisation to continue

Software and technology companies on Wednesday praised the Budget’s announcements for research and artificial intelligence (AI) while demanding continued focus on the digital economy.

The government plans to deploy digital solutions in seven priority areas: from infrastructure and last-mile delivery in the financial sector. The Budget proposed establishing three centres of excellence (CoE) to build AI solutions for agriculture, health, and sustainable cities. It said the government will establish 100 labs to develop applications using 5G services, as they offer new opportunities, business models, and employment.

Rekha M Menon, chairperson and senior managing director at Accenture in India, said the AI centres could be extended for use in more sectors.