New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said while India has the talent, it needs a strong production base, and not empty words, to build industrial prowess in new technology to give its youth jobs.
In a post on X, Gandhi highlighted how China has started producing drones which are revolutionising warfare across the world, saying India needs to develop a strategy to become competitive in this area.
“Drones have revolutionised warfare, combining batteries, motors and optics to manoeuver and communicate on the battlefield in unprecedented ways. But drones are not just one technology — they are bottom-up innovations produced by a strong industrial system.
“Unfortunately, PM Modi has failed to grasp this. While he delivers ‘teleprompter’ speeches on AI, our competitors are mastering new technologies. India needs a strong production base, not empty words,” he said in the post, taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“India has immense talent, scale and drive. We must have a clear vision and build real industrial prowess to give our youth jobs and lead India into the future,” Gandhi added.
The Congress leader also tagged a nine-minute video on drone technology with the post, saying India has the talent and engineering skills to develop such technology for the future.
He also referred to his speech in the Lok Sabha while speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the president’s address, where he talked about new technology.
In the video, Gandhi is heard saying that drones have completely transformed the way wars are fought.
“But drones are not just a technology – they are a grassroots and small-scale innovation being produced by a robust industrial system.
“Drones have diminished the importance of tanks, artillery and even aircraft carriers, bringing air power to the platoon level and reshaping intelligence and precision on the battlefield. But this revolution is not just limited to warfare — it is also about industry, AI and next-generation technology,” he said.
“Unfortunately, PM Modi has failed to understand this. While he is busy giving speeches on AI by simply reading from a ‘teleprompter’, our competitors are mastering new technologies. India needs a strong production base, not empty speeches,” Gandhi said.
The real power, he said, lies not just in building the drones, but in controlling the electric motors, batteries, optics and production machinery behind them, but India is not growing in this area.
“We cannot lead in AI or technology if we don’t control production. We have handed over our consumer data, we don’t make the key components and while the rest of the world is shaping the future, we are limited to assembly,” the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha said.
“India has amazing talent, huge potential and tremendous will. But empty talk will not cut it — we need a clear vision and real industrial strength. The future will not be built from the top, it will emerge from the grassroots. Now is the time for Indian youth to step up and ensure that India is not left behind,” he said.
The Congress shared Gandhi’s video on drones and new technology on X, saying, “Drones have revolutionided warfare with cutting-edge tech. India needs substance over rhetoric! Let’s build a strong production base to harness our talent.”
The Indian Youth Congress said in a post on X, “India’s youth deserve better than PM Modi’s ‘teleprompter’ speeches!
“Rahul Gandhi’s vision for a strong industrial ecosystem is the way forward. Let’s build a nation that can design, develop, and deploy cutting-edge drones and more.”
