Throughout history, global leadership has not been a matter of chance but the outcome of nations daring to innovate, think big, and act boldly. Technological breakthroughs have often defined the trajectory of civilizations. The nuclear bomb irrevocably shifted power dynamics during World War II. Russia’s launch of Sputnik in 1957 ignited the space race, compelling the United States to rally its resources and imagination, culminating in the historic Apollo moon landing.
Today, China is leading its own transformation, fueled by unmatched advancements in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and infrastructure. The Deepseek AI launch is a shining testament to this: a breakthrough that outperformed its U.S. counterparts in cost, efficiency, and intelligence. This achievement not only signaled China’s readiness to challenge global tech giants but also erased $1 trillion in market capitalization from major American firms, shaking the foundations of their dominance.
India, in contrast, remains stuck in a cycle of mediocrity. Despite possessing immense talent and potential, the nation is complacent in celebrating incremental gains—assembling fighter jets with mostly indigenous parts but relying on foreign engines, or launching space missions that, while commendable for their cost-effectiveness, lack the scale and ambition of global counterparts.
Nandan Nilekani says build peripheral products don’t focus on building your own LLM. Indian leaders focus on 70 hours and 90 hours work discussion, not that hard work is not required, but that smells more of a supervisor who flogs it’s workers very hard for it’s master sitting in USA and not of an innovator who intends to rule the world.
Dr. Sunil Singh
The harsh reality is that India has yet to shed its “assembler mindset”, a legacy of servitude that prevents it from realizing its full potential. This is India’s Deepseek Moment—a pivotal juncture to redefine its technological destiny. The question is, will India seize this opportunity or remain a bystander in the global race for innovation?
The Assembler Mindset: A Legacy of Servitude
India’s inability to take the lead in technology stems from an ingrained colonial hangover—a mindset that values servitude over leadership. During British rule, many Indians took pride in being effective administrators and servants of the empire. In modern times, this mindset manifests in the form of “Make in India”, which has largely devolved into “Assemble in India”.
Take, for instance, the much-publicized indigenous fighter jets. While 95% of their components are Indian-made, the critical element—the engine—comes from foreign manufacturers. Similarly, Indian IT giants, once celebrated for their global reach, have settled into roles as back-office service providers for Western firms. Instead of creating transformative products or foundational technologies, they focus on peripheral applications.
Even respected leaders like Nandan Nilekani advocate building applications around U.S.-developed technologies like large language models (LLMs) instead of encouraging India to develop its own. This is emblematic of a slave mindset—the belief that serving global masters is safer and more feasible than competing with them. Such an approach stifles innovation, ambition, and the possibility of India emerging as a global leader.
This mindset eerily mirrors the colonial era, where Indians believed that excelling in the service of British rulers elevated their status. Today’s equivalent is the celebration of India’s role as a facilitator of global technologies rather than a creator of revolutionary innovations. However, true global leadership cannot be achieved by playing second fiddle—it requires originality, ambition, and courage.
Global Examples: The Power of Ambition and Vision
History teaches us that nations that dared to think big and act boldly have always shaped the global order. Here are three pivotal examples:
1. The U.S. Moonshot: Uniting a Nation Through Ambition
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy’s declaration, “We choose to go to the moon… not because they are easy, but because they are hard,” became a rallying cry for an entire nation. The U.S. didn’t just land on the moon; it established decades of technological dominance in aerospace, computing, and innovation. The Apollo program showed the world what a unified vision could achieve.
2. China’s Technological Ascendancy: A Leapfrog Strategy
China’s meteoric rise is no accident. Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, the nation adopted innovation as a core principle of progress. As Xi noted, “Innovation is the soul driving a nation’s progress and an inexhaustible source of a country’s prosperity.” From building the world’s largest bullet train network in under a decade to launching its own space station, China has repeatedly demonstrated how strategic investment and national focus can redefine global power dynamics. Now Deepseek is another example where they not only wiped out USD 1 tn from US Market but forecd USA President to make an statement. That’s serious it is.
3. Russia’s Sputnik Moment: The Shock That Changed Everything
When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, it didn’t just put a satellite into orbit; it forced the United States to reevaluate its technological priorities. The Sputnik launch catalyzed the establishment of NASA, massive investments in STEM education, and decades of American dominance in space exploration. India must look at this as a blueprint for its own Deepseek Moment.
India’s Missed Opportunities: A Talent-Rich Yet Vision-Poor Nation
India’s failure to capitalize on its immense talent is not due to a lack of resources but a lack of imagination and ambition. The nation has consistently missed opportunities to lead:
1. The IT Sector: From Back Office to Innovation Hub
In the 1990s and 2000s, Indian IT giants like Infosys, TCS, and Wipro became global leaders. Yet, instead of leveraging their success to develop transformative products or services, they settled for roles as service providers. This was a golden opportunity to create platforms or products that could rival Microsoft or Google—a chance India failed to seize.
2. Fighter Jets Without Engines: The Gap in Self-Reliance
India’s celebrated fighter jets remain incomplete symbols of technological self-reliance. Without mastering core technologies like engine development, true independence remains a distant dream. Being 95% indigenous is not the choice. Sometime you will blame USA or sometime you will blame France that my program is delayed because you didn’t supply my critical engine or engine parts.
3. ISRO’s Limited Scope: Ambition Falls Short
While ISRO’s achievements in low-cost space missions are commendable, the agency has yet to set ambitious goals like manned planetary landings or interplanetary missions. These are the milestones that inspire nations and establish technological leadership. They need to take BOLD steps. You can’t thnink of manned moon landing in 10 years. by that time world would have moved ahead.
India’s Deepseek/Deepslumber Moment: The Way Forward
India stands at a critical juncture. To become a global technology leader, the nation must overhaul its mindset and adopt bold, forward-thinking strategies:
1. Empower Visionaries and Risk-Takers
India’s best and brightest must be given the freedom and resources to take risks. This requires:
- Reducing the influence of conglomerates that monopolize resources and stifle competition.
- Establishing government-backed research funds for high-risk, high-reward projects.
- Encouraging startups and technologists to pursue moonshot ideas without bureaucratic hurdles.
- Stop Celebrating Indian Origin Foreign Nationals and shining in reflected glory. Reality is that Indian system couldn’t recognize and accomodate them and now they aren’t Indians. Period.
2. Shift from Assembling to Innovating : Build Foundational Technologies
Assembling Mindset Leaders focus on 70 hours and 90 hours work week discussion. Stop celebrating them. The “Make in India” initiative must evolve into a “Create in India” program. This means:
- Reducing reliance on foreign intellectual property through indigenous R&D.
- Investing in core technologies like AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology.
3. Reform Education to Inspire Creativity
India’s education system prioritizes rote learning over creativity. To foster innovation:
- Encourage problem-solving and project-based learning to inspire curiosity and imagination.
- Introduce interdisciplinary curriculums that combine science, technology, arts, and critical thinking.
4. Set National Challenges
India needs to rally behind bold, collective goals, such as:
- Establishing quantum supremacy in computing.
- Building a foundational AI model that competes with Deepseek.
- Leading the world in green energy and climate technologies.
5. Prioritize Technology Over Political Divides
Stop celebrating divisive political leaders and business magnates focused on incremental progress. India’s political class must shift its focus from divisive agendas to nation-building. Visionary leadership that unites society around technological and economic progress is critical.
The Choice Before India
The global technological landscape is shifting. AI, biotechnology, and space exploration will define the next world order. India must decide whether it will remain a bystander or emerge as a pioneer. This is India’s Deepseek Moment—a chance to break free from the assembler mindset and chart a course toward true global leadership. The stakes are immense, but so is the opportunity. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The future depends on what you do today.” Will India rise to the challenge and reclaim its rightful place on the world stage? The world is watching
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