Tech-Driven Industries Heralded as Pillars of ‘Viksit Bharat’, Yet Questions Remain About Inclusive Implementation

On the third day of May, the city of Pune's Chinchwad district hosted the inaugural three‑day ERP Industrial Exhibition, an event designed to showcase the convergence of artificial intelligence, digitisation, and enterprise resource planning technologies to the nation's myriad micro, small and medium enterprises, thereby framing the occasion as a practical laboratory for the government's aspirational Viksit Bharat vision.

Milind Kamble, distinguished recipient of the Padma Shri honour and founder of the DICCI platform which seeks to integrate digital commerce within traditional industry, addressed the assembled stakeholders with a measured insistence that adoption of artificial intelligence and comprehensive ERP solutions would not merely augment productivity but could, if equitably distributed, constitute the keystone of India's transformation into a developed nation by the centenary of independence in 2047. He further asserted that without a coordinated policy framework capable of subsidising software licences, training curricula, and broadband penetration for the estimated eight million informal enterprises scattered across the subcontinent, the lofty ambition of technological uplift could remain but a rhetorical flourish unsupported by the lived realities of the nation's most vulnerable labour force.

The exposition, orchestrated by the private events firm Exponomics, presented a panoply of digital solutions ranging from cloud‑based inventory management to predictive analytics for agrarian supply chains, while simultaneously offering workshops and expert panels designed to demystify complex software ecosystems for entrepreneurs whose primary concerns have traditionally centred upon immediate cash flow and market access. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose presence lent governmental imprimatur to the venture, praised the initiative as a testament to the state’s commitment to modernise manufacturing ecosystems, yet refrained from delineating concrete fiscal measures or timelines that might assure the participation of the countless micro‑enterprises languishing without reliable electricity or dependable internet connectivity.

The broader social tapestry within which this technology drive is being unfurled reveals a stark juxtaposition: while urban conglomerates increasingly command sophisticated data infrastructures, a substantial proportion of rural India continues to grapple with rudimentary health clinics, understaffed schools, and public works that fail to meet basic standards of safety and accessibility. Consequently, the promise that artificial intelligence and enterprise resource planning will catalyse a surge in productivity must be weighed against the risk that such tools, without targeted subsidies and capacity‑building programmes, may exacerbate existing inequities by privileging firms already situated within well‑served digital corridors.

Governmental agencies, citing the National Digital Health Blueprint and the MSME Digitalisation Scheme, claim to have allocated billions of rupees toward the creation of interoperable platforms, yet independent auditors have repeatedly flagged delays in fund disbursement, opaque procurement criteria, and a dearth of transparent monitoring mechanisms that render accountability an elusive ideal. In the absence of a robust grievance redressal framework and with institutional inertia persisting despite parliamentary questions, the efficacy of policy pronouncements remains a matter of conjecture rather than demonstrable progress, thereby compelling civil society organisations to petition for enforceable timelines and evidence‑based assessments.

If the state’s promise to subsidise ERP software for micro‑enterprises remains unfulfilled, does this not constitute a breach of the statutory obligations articulated in the 2023 Digital Inclusion Act, thereby exposing the administration to potential judicial scrutiny regarding the equitable allocation of public resources? Should the paucity of reliable broadband infrastructure in rural districts be deemed a failure of the Ministry of Communications to meet its own performance benchmarks, might affected entrepreneurs be entitled to claim compensation under the consumer protection framework that obliges service providers to deliver advertised connectivity standards? In the event that training programmes for ERP implementation are delivered without accredited curricula or measurable competency assessments, does the prevailing policy not risk contravening the National Skill Development Mission’s mandate to ensure that vocational instruction translates into demonstrable productivity gains for the broader economy? Consequently, are policymakers prepared to furnish a transparent audit trail that reconciles allocated funds with on‑ground outcomes, thereby allowing parliamentary committees and civil society watchdogs to evaluate whether the proclaimed technological uplift truly mitigates systemic disparities rather than merely amplifying the digital chasm?

If evidence emerges that public procurement for the exhibition's digital platforms favoured firms with political affiliations, could the Central Vigilance Commission invoke its anti‑corruption mandate to launch an inquiry into alleged preferential treatment that undermines the veracity of fair competition statutes? Might the omission of explicit data‑privacy safeguards in the showcased ERP solutions be interpreted as a violation of the Personal Data Protection Bill’s requirement for informed consent, thereby obliging regulators to demand corrective measures before such systems are adopted at scale across the nation's vast MSME sector? Should the Ministry of Education's commitment to integrate digital literacy modules within technical curricula remain unimplemented, does this not betray the promise embedded in the National Education Policy that digital competencies are essential for bridging socioeconomic gaps and fostering inclusive growth? Finally, will the forthcoming parliamentary Committee on Technology and Innovation demand that future exhibitions be accompanied by legally binding Service Level Agreements that delineate performance metrics, audit rights, and remedial recourse, thus ensuring that the lofty rhetoric of a 'Viksit Bharat' is substantiated by enforceable accountability mechanisms?

Published: May 10, 2026