Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with IBM CEO Arvind Krishna via video conferencing on Monday. Talking about the impact of COVID-19 on business culture, the prime minister said that "work-from-home" is being adopted in a big way and the government is constantly working towards providing infrastructure, connectivity, and regulatory environment to ensure that this technological shift is smooth. He also discussed the technologies associated and challenges involved in the recent decision of IBM to make 75 percent of its employees to work from home.
Modi said that this is a great time to invest in India. He said that the country is welcoming and supporting investments taking place in the tech sector. He noted that while the world is witnessing a slowdown, FDI inflow in India is increasing. The country is moving forward with the vision of a self-sufficient India so that a globally competent and disruption resilient local supply chain can be developed.
The IBM CEO briefed PM Modi about its huge investment plans in India. He expressed confidence in the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The prime minister also talked about the efforts of the government in the last six years to promote wellness and ensure that the best quality healthcare is within the reach of the people. He explored the possibilities of creating India specific AI-based tools in the healthcare sector and development of better models for disease prediction and analysis. He underlined that the country is moving towards the development of an integrated, tech, and data-driven healthcare system which is affordable and hassle-free for the people. He noted that IBM can play an important role in taking forward the healthcare vision. IBM CEO also appreciated Prime Minister’s vision for Ayushman Bharat and talked about using technology for the early identification of diseases.