Digital connectivity: Mukesh Ambani says India shall be leading world in next two decades

Richest Indian Mukesh Ambani said Wednesday that India will lead the world in digital connectivity, which is bringing over billion minds to work together. He said that 1.3 billion people of the country can participate in data driven fourth industrial revolution and solve biggest problems that humanity faces.

"The Fourth Industrial Revolution is now upon us. Data is the foundation of this revolution. India is already generating significant quantum of data. I can say with confidence that India has a chance of not just participating in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but also leading it," Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said while speaking at Republic Summit.

He said that India at present is a very young nation, with 63 per cent of its 1.3 billion population are aged below 35. "India's vast tech-savvy young population is its key strength. Just imagine the kind of connected intelligence India can create if the power of a billion-plus minds is combined!...Over the next two decades, I can confidently say ? that India shall be leading the world and shall contribute the next wave of global economic growth," Ambani said.

Ambani, who also heads Reliance Jio, said all Indians will have access to massive computing on the cloud, and access to all information on the planet. "Jio is determined to connect everyone and everything, everywhere ? always at the highest quality and the most affordable price. I am proud to say that, instead of a digital divide, India today is digitally united. All 1.3 billion connected minds are going to accelerate the future," he added said.

He said that every single aspect of human life will undergo massive transformation within next few decades. "Early adopters will have the opportunity to leap-frog competition, and create unprecedented societal value," he noted.

Ambani, whose firm owns Network18 media group, said that he understands business of media and advent of digital technologies have changed the media dynamics.

"Before the advent of Digital Technologies, the so-called mass media was essentially without the masses. The masses were passive consumers of media. Now the masses have become both producers and owners of media. Look at Social Media. I believe that Digital is the greatest friend of Democracy," Ambani said.