Aadhaar to ONDC: Adani Calls India’s Digital Infrastructure a Launchpad For A $25 Trillion Future
Gautam Adani, speaking at IIM Lucknow, hailed India’s digital infrastructure as unmatched globally. Calling Aadhaar, UPI, and ONDC "launchpads" for inclusive growth, he urged students to embrace bold innovation to help shape India into a $25 trillion economy by 2050.
- Republic Business
- 2 min read
Industrialist Gautam Adani on Thursday described India’s public digital infrastructure as “unmatched anywhere in the world,” crediting it as a core driver of the country’s journey toward becoming a $25 trillion economy by 2050.
Addressing students and faculty at the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, Adani said platforms such as Aadhaar, UPI, and ONDC were more than technological tools — they were foundational launchpads for inclusive innovation at scale.
“No country has built what we have,” Adani remarked, speaking in a mix of English and Hindi. “These are not just platforms. They are the launchpads of a new India — the India that is inclusive by design and exponential by default.”
His address framed India’s digital infrastructure as a moral and developmental differentiator, arguing that the nation now holds the tools for its own transformation. He outlined four key structural strengths he believes will shape India’s future: a youthful and ambitious population, surging domestic demand, robust digital public infrastructure, and a new wave of domestic capital backing Indian entrepreneurship with urgency and confidence.
India’s digital Stack: A new OS for growth
While global institutions like the World Bank have praised India’s digital public goods in recent years, Adani took a more assertive view. He positioned Aadhaar (identity), UPI (payments), and ONDC (open e-commerce) as a new “operating system” for inclusive economic development — scalable, trustworthy, and distinctly Indian.
He emphasized that these platforms were not about “administrative convenience” alone, but about embedding equity into India’s growth story. "This is your moment," he told students, urging them to dream beyond imported frameworks. “The future will not belong to those who play it safe. It will belong to those who maximize possibility.”
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Personal reflections and a broader Call to Action
Interspersing his address with reflections from his early business life — including his diamond trading days at age 16 and building mega projects in challenging terrains like Mundra and Khavda — Adani underscored the value of conviction over convention.
“Maps will only take you where someone has already been,” he said. “To build something truly new, you need a compass that points to possibility.”
He concluded by urging the next generation to lead with character, conscience, and creativity. “India does not need more painters who fill in the blanks. It needs those who can paint with colours not yet imagined.”