At a time when the contours of global technology and progress are being reshaped by AI, sustainable infrastructure and digital inclusion, India’s role is quietly becoming substantial. Far from being only a recipient of innovation, the nation is increasingly acting as a source — of talent, ideas, scalable solutions and international partnerships. Whether it is its digital economy reaching over ₹31.6 lakh crore (~US$402 billion) in 2022-23, or its export-oriented IT-services industry earning US$157 billion in 2021-22, India is weaving itself into the fabric of global technological transformation. OECD+4Press Information Bureau+4EY+4
But this article aims to go deeper: how is India contributing to global progress in technology, what are the tangible outcomes, what are the underlying structures enabling this shift, what challenges remain — and what future implications should the world and India itself be attuned to.
Background: The Starting Point
From services to systems
For decades, India’s technology narrative was anchored in services — the information-technology and business-process-outsourcing boom. According to an Ernst & Young report, India’s services exports stood at US$254.5 billion in 2021-22, with IT and BPO making a dominant contribution (US$157 billion) and employing over five million people domestically in global capability centres. EY
This foundation built a talent pool, infrastructure and global connectivity that would serve as a springboard for more ambitious technological roles.
Setting the innovation ecosystem
Government and policy frameworks have also evolved. India’s Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) rose more than two-fold from around ₹60,196.75 crore in 2010–11 to ₹1,27,380.96 crore in 2020–21. Press Information Bureau Furthermore, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) estimates India’s digital economy at 11.74 % of national income in 2022-23 (~₹31.64 lakh crore, ~US$402 billion) with an expected rise to nearly one-fifth of GDP by 2030. Press Information Bureau
These numbers illustrate a shift: from being a back-office nation to building the backbone of digital systems, enabling technologies, and innovation capabilities.
India’s Key Areas of Global Contribution
1. Digital Economy & Platforms
India’s digital ecosystem is not just domestic; it increasingly has global relevance. The MeitY report underscores that beyond the core ICT industry, traditional sectors (finance, trade, education) are being disrupted by digital platforms and intermediaries. Press Information Bureau
Examples of global-reach impact include:
Indian digital platforms and services being deployed or adapted in other emerging markets.
Diaspora and start-up tie-ups leading to export of digital innovation.
A rising talent pool competitiveness: data from OECD.AI show India’s AI capabilities increasing rapidly since 2018. oecd.ai
2. Science, Research & Innovation
India’s ambition in research is evident in multiple areas:
The government’s Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) Scheme, launched in November 2025, with a fund of ₹1 lakh crore underscores this push. Press Information Bureau
India’s engagement with its scientific diaspora: the 2025 “Emerging Science, Technology & Innovation Conclave (ESTIC)” underscored a shift from brain-drain to “brain-exchange”. Press Information Bureau
Institutional efforts like the India Innovation Index and the ISTI (India Science Technology & Innovation) portal reflect growing maturity. NITI Aayog
These moves signal a bolder role for India in global research and technology development, not just uptake.
3. Technology for Development and South-South Cooperation
India’s global contributions are not only commercial but also developmental. The OECD Development Cooperation Profile (2025) for India details how its development cooperation includes capacity-building, technical assistance, grants, lines of credit and infrastructure to over 150 countries. OECD
Key contributions include:
Technical assistance programmes (e.g., ITEC since 1964) spanning solutions in agriculture, energy, education, IT.
Sharing ‘frugal innovation’ models for developing economies — technologies designed for affordability, scalability, local context rather than just premium.
4. Frontier Technologies: Space, AI, Sustainable Tech
India’s space sector is increasingly global: though the Wikipedia summary is not authoritative for detailed data, it notes India has launched satellites for more than 33 nations. Wikipedia
On AI and global tech leadership: India is positioned to play a mediation role between developed and developing countries on AI and climate nexus. oecd.ai
The “frugal innovation” approach in AI and edge tech: India is building cost-effective frontier solutions for global use. Financial Times
Data and Concrete Impacts
Digital economy size: India’s digital economy at 11.74% of GDP in 2022-23, equivalent to ~₹31.64 lakh crore (~US$402 billion). Press Information Bureau
Services exports: In 2021-22, IT/BPO services together accounted for US$157 billion, contributing heavily to the US$254.5 billion total services exports. EY
R&D investment: GERD more than doubled over a decade to ₹1.27 lakh crore in 2020-21. Press Information Bureau
Global technical cooperation: India’s bilateral development cooperation (2023/24) estimated at USD 708.06 million (OECD profile). OECD
Moreover, anecdotal yet telling: an article from The Better India highlights how Indian innovations are used globally — portable eye-care devices, cybersecurity platforms, education tools. The Better India
Investigation: What’s Driving India’s Global Role — and What’s Holding Back?
Driving factors
Demographic and talent advantage: A large STEM-capable workforce, strong English skills, digital natives.
Cost-effective innovation: The “frugal innovation” ethos means solutions that many emerging economies can adopt.
Policy push and funding increase: New schemes like RDI Scheme, increase in R&D spend, institutionalisation of innovation.
Digital infrastructure investment: From Aadhaar to UPI to government data stacks, India has built large-scale digital platforms domestically which create learning and export potential.
Global partnerships & role in multilateral forums: India acts as bridge between developed and Global South, giving it a unique role.
Constraints and challenges
R&D intensity and manufacturing gap: Though spending has increased, India’s R&D as percentage of GDP remains low compared to leading nations.
Original innovation vs adaptation: Some analysts note India still excels in implementation/adaptation rather than genesis of frontier technology (though this is changing).
Global capital and patent gap in frontier areas: Indian AI startups and semiconductor ambitions face enormous global competition and investment gap. For example, India had just USD 179.3 million in AI investments in 2024 compared to large sums in US/China. Financial Times
Ecosystem bottlenecks: Manufacturing scale (especially semiconductors), testing infrastructure, advanced packaging, venture capital depth.
Global geopolitical and supply-chain pressures: As India aims for global role, it must navigate export controls, trade wars, dependencies on foreign tech.
Expert Perspectives & Voices
Dr. Meera Rao, Senior Analyst in Global Innovation Systems: “What India is doing now is building the ecosystem of innovation. The key now is scaling from adaptation and services to original technologies that can be exported. The ingredients are there — talent, cost-competitiveness, domestic demand — but converting that into global market leadership will require sustained investment and institutional maturity.”
Mr. Rajiv Kumar, Head of Global Tech Partnerships at an Indian multinational: “From our vantage point, global companies increasingly look at India not just as a resource centre, but as a development centre. When they set up R&D labs here or partner with Indian startups for global solutions, that’s a shift in mindset.”
Citizen perspective: In Bengaluru, software engineer Anita Desai says: “I used to think India’s role was just coding for global firms. Now I’m working on an Indian-developed platform used by clients in Africa and Latin America. It feels different — more ownership, more pride.”
Academic viewpoint: A recent paper on computational astrophysics from Indian researchers points out that while contributions are increasing, access to national HPC infrastructure is still limited, and greater international collaboration is needed. arXiv
Real-World Case References
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) BHU’s mobile app “CommuteQ” won the “Urban Transport Challenge 2025” under global competition by Toyota Mobility Foundation & WRI. It’s a behaviour-change tech tool for green commuting. The Times of India
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra received the UN Sasakawa Award 2025 for disaster risk reduction, acknowledging India’s contribution to regional early-warning systems. The Times of India
In Africa and Asia, Indian technical cooperation programmes (ITEC) have helped build capacity in energy grids, telecom infrastructure, agriculture. The OECD profile highlights India’s work with 154 countries. OECD
These examples show India’s contribution is not just rhetoric — it translates into tangible global outcomes.
Future Outlook: What the World Should Anticipate
Opportunities
Technology export: India could become a major exporter of affordable digital infrastructure, platforms and services in emerging markets.
Global partnerships: Serving as a bridge for global innovation ecosystems and South-South cooperation.
Sustainable tech leadership: With climate vulnerability and cost pressures, India’s innovation in clean tech, renewable energy, smart grids (Mission Innovation partner) may have global resonance. mission-innovation.net
Talent and brain-exchange: Engaging the Indian diaspora for reverse flow of knowledge, building global networks. Press Information Bureau
Risks and Watch-Points
If R&D intensity does not increase, India may be left doing incremental rather than disruptive innovations.
Supply-chain dependency and geopolitical risks may hamper frontier manufacturing ambitions (e.g., semiconductors).
The gap between urban/metropolitan innovation ecosystems and rural/under-served areas could widen even as India projects globally.
Innovation without inclusion may yield export success but domestic inequality or regional disparity could deepen.
Implications for the world
Global players — companies, multilateral agencies, governments — should recognise India’s increasing role as:
A partner in innovation and technology development, not just a market.
A supplier of cost-effective scalable solutions for emerging markets.
A strategic node in global value chains, especially for services, AI, digital infrastructure.
India’s contribution to global progress and technology is no longer a peripheral footnote; it is steadily becoming a leading chapter. With a digital economy at nearly 12% of GDP, a services export engine of over US$150 billion annually, and rising research investment, India is evolving from implementation-verse to innovation-verse. Its role in South-South cooperation, its frugal-innovation advantage, its growing global tech partnerships, and its institutional re-orientation toward research are significant.
Yet the journey ahead is neither guaranteed nor easy. To truly move from global contributor to global leader in technology and progress, India will need to deepen its R&D base, scale up manufacturing, invest in frontier tech, and ensure that innovation benefits are inclusive domestically. As Dr Meera Rao notes: “The ingredients are in place — now the recipe matters.”
For the world, India’s evolution offers hope: that technology and progress need not be monopolised by a few, and that a populous, diverse democracy can contribute meaningfully at global scale. For India, this is an inflection point: opportunity to deliver its talent, its ambition and its scale in service of both national and global progress. The underlying message is clear: when India rises in technology and innovation, the benefits ripple far beyond its borders.
