new delhi: L-G Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Tuesday said the future of nation-building is digital but its heart must remain human.
Sandhu, the former diplomat and newly appointed L-G, was delivering the keynote address at Global Confluence 2026 organised by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).
Sandhu recalled his long association with NASSCOM since his role as a diplomat in the USA, and added that it was apt that the Global Confluence organised by the Association was one of his first events in his capacity as Delhi L-G.
He was administered the oath as Delhi’s 23rd L-G on March 11.
“History teaches us that nations are built on foundations of stone, steel and sweat. But in 2026, the architecture of nation-building has changed.
“Today, the most vital infrastructure is often invisible. It exists in the pulses of fibre-optic cables, the logic of algorithms and the seamless flow of data,” Sandhu said.
In large and diverse democracies such as India, technology becomes particularly important as it enables systems to operate at scale. No one has demonstrated the transformative power of technology better than India, he asserted.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), we have harnessed this power through initiatives such as Digital Public Infrastructure (DPIs), Atal Tinkering Labs, Start Up India, Digital India, IndiaAI Mission, Semicon Mission and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF),” he cited various initiatives of the central government. The ultimate aim of any innovation has to be the improvement in the lives of the people, he said, and added, “We see the use of drones for getting our vaccines across to remote areas, the creation of tractor-sharing apps among our farmers and the use of AI to ensure the optimal use of fertilisers and pesticides.” Highlighting India’s digital transformation, the L-G said that in the past decade, the country has witnessed one of the most remarkable digital transformations.
India’s vast, affordable internet drives innovation and transactions. Sandhu highlighted DPI, UPI’s global reach, and stressed inclusive, human-centric digital growth, urging focus on research, skills, collaboration and ambition.