Ashwini Vaishnaw at NDTV World Summit 2025: Leading India's Digital Transformation Journey

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is scheduled to participate on the second day of the NDTV World Summit 2025, where he will highlight India's journey in digital technology. As the Minister overseeing Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, he will lead the session titled "The Great Indian Techade: Reimagining India's Digital Destiny." This presentation will explore the country's innovation initiatives, digital transformation progress, and development of future-ready infrastructure.

Born on July 18, 1970, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Ashwini Vaishnaw completed his BTech in Electronics and Communication from JNVU Jodhpur and subsequently earned an MTech from IIT Kanpur. He further enhanced his educational qualifications with an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 2008.

Vaishnaw began his professional journey by joining the Indian Administrative Service in 1994 as part of the Odisha cadre. He gained recognition for his effective work during the devastating Super Cyclone of 1999. In 2003, he moved to the Prime Minister's Office during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure and later served as deputy chairman of the Mormugao Port Trust. After concluding his civil service career, he transitioned to the corporate sector, where he held significant leadership positions including Managing Director at GE Transportation and Vice President at Siemens Locomotives. In 2012, he embarked on an entrepreneurial path, establishing Vee Gee Auto Components and Three Tee Auto Logistics in Gujarat.

Vaishnaw's political career began with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and he has represented Odisha in the Rajya Sabha since June 2019. On July 8, 2021, he was appointed as Union Minister of Railways, Minister of Information & Broadcasting, and Minister of Electronics & IT.

As Union Minister, Vaishnaw has implemented significant reforms across his portfolios. In Railways, his accomplishments include modernizing over 250 stations, upgrading more than 3,000 kilometres of tracks, developing Dedicated Freight Corridors, and improving train punctuality to exceed 90 percent.

In the Electronics and IT sector, he has overseen the connection of over 200 million households under the BharatNet initiative, facilitated UPI transactions exceeding 10 billion per month, and driven substantial growth in electronics and IT industries, helping establish India as the world's second-largest IT exporter. His leadership in Communications enabled the successful rollout of 5G services following a spectrum auction that generated over $20 billion.

The NDTV World Summit 2025 is scheduled for October 17-18 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This prestigious event will bring together global leaders, innovators, and thought leaders from various fields including politics, science, technology, and business. The summit will focus on the theme of Risk, Resolve, and Renewal, addressing both challenges and opportunities that will shape the coming decade.