At ET NOW GBS 2026, Times Group MD Vineet Jain hailed India’s decade of transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Times Group Managing Director Vineet Jain on Friday laid out an expansive vision of India’s transformation over the past decade, declaring at the ET NOW Global Business Summit (GBS) 2026 that the country is no longer asking whether it can rise. “India does not ask whether it can rise. India declares to the world that it is rising,” Jain said, as he welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the 10th edition of the summit. Addressing a gathering that included global leaders, policymakers and business executives, Jain said the platform itself reflected India’s evolution.
“A decade ago, this platform was about exchanging ideas. Today, it is a platform which is helping us navigate a world being reshaped – economically, technologically, and geopolitically,” he said.
The theme of this year’s summit – ‘A decade of disruption. A century of realignment’ – captures the larger shift underway globally, Jain said, adding that, “at the centre of that realignment – stands India”.
From Aspirations To Achievements
Speaking in the presence of the Prime Minister, Jain said, “Under your dynamic leadership, India has transitioned from a land of aspirations to a nation of achievements. We have witnessed our potential being realised and our performance reaching new heights.”
ET Now Global Business Summit
As the ET NOW Global Business Summit completes its first decade, it does so at a time when the ability to institutionalise resilience may be the defining economic skill of our era…: Vineet Jain (@vineetjaintimes), MD, The Times Group@ETNOW_GBS… pic.twitter.com/TPEJ8JiprJ
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) February 13, 2026
Highlighting India’s diplomatic strides in a volatile geopolitical environment, he noted that the country had concluded five major trade agreements within a single year – with the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Oman. “These agreements… have positioned India as a bridge-builder in a fractured world,” he said, adding that the EU agreement represents approximately 25% of global GDP, while the US partnership secures access to a 30 trillion-dollar market.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s call for self-reliance, Jain said, “Prime Minister …your call for Atmanirbhar Bharat, turned out to be visionary, because it has necessarily evolved from an economic policy into a vital strategy to counter the weaponisation of global trade, supply chains and technology.”
Infrastructure And Digital Leap
Jain described the physical transformation of India as “breathtaking”. He pointed to over 50,000 kilometres of national highways added in the last ten years, seven upcoming high-speed rail corridors as “growth connectors”, and a metro network that has expanded to over 1,000 kilometres, now the world’s third-largest.
He also highlighted India’s digital transformation. “India has emerged as the first major democracy to build population-scale Digital Public Infrastructure including identity, payments, data, and governance.” With over 100 billion digital payment transactions annually and UPI accounting for 85 per cent of retail digital payments, he called it “a public digital infrastructure unmatched globally”.
At the same time, Jain stressed the need to build globally competitive Indian technology and media firms. “It is, therefore, imperative for India to develop global scale entities in these areas, including both media and Big Tech,” he said, noting that foreign-owned businesses currently control over 60 per cent of overall advertising spends in India.
Jain also called for a regulatory framework to ensure fair compensation for the media industry as “social media and AI become primary consumption channels.”
Technology, Energy And Sovereignty
Jain highlighted India’s push into frontier technologies, including the India Semiconductor Mission, IndiaAI, and the National Quantum Mission. “The National Critical Mineral Mission secures rare earth processing capabilities, while the policy enabling private sector participation in Small Modular Reactors will transform our nuclear power landscape,” he said.
ET Now Global Business Summit
Honourable Prime Minister, you have given India confidence. You have given India clarity. You have given India ambition. India does not ask whether it can rise. India declares to the world that it is rising…: Vineet Jain (@vineetjaintimes), MD,… pic.twitter.com/c1iPu4iv3O
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) February 13, 2026
On renewable energy, he noted that India has already achieved 50 per cent non-fossil fuel capacity by 2025 – five years ahead of its Paris Agreement target – with solar energy driving the 500-gigawatt non-fossil capacity goal.
“I truly believe that this is just the beginning,” Jain said.
Startups, Space And Structural Reforms
Jain said India is now home to more than 1,700 Global Capability Centers employing nearly two million professionals, with projections suggesting 2,400 GCCs by 2030. “Young India is not waiting for jobs. Young India is creating them,” he said, pointing to the country’s position as the third largest startup ecosystem globally, with over 100 unicorns. “Thanks to the visionary Start Up India Mission, almost 10,000 startups have raised more than 170 billion dollars since 2014.”
He also cited India’s success in space docking experiments and the rise of over 300 operational space startups as evidence that the country is “democratising space technology and fostering innovation”.
On reforms, Jain noted that over 350 changes have been rolled out since last Independence Day. “GST 2.0 simplified taxation and reduced compliance burdens. The historic Income Tax Act 2025, replacing the 1961 Act, streamlines provisions and reduces litigation. Implementation of the new Labour Codes will modernise the workforce and boost formal jobs.
