From Pokhran to Progress: Building a Sustainable Future through Innovation

National Technology Day 2025 serves as a forward-looking manifesto. It challenges stakeholders to reimagine the role of technology: not just as a tool for productivity or profit, but as a catalyst for sustainability, inclusivity, and peace. It reaffirms the belief that true innovation is one that uplifts humanity, safeguards nature, and bridges societal divides.

- PRIYABRAT BISWAL

EVERY year on May 11, India pauses to honour a moment that redefined its technological destiny — National Technology Day. Instituted in 1999, the day commemorates the landmark nuclear tests conducted under Operation Shakti at the Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan on May 11, 1998. While the event marked India's emergence as a nuclear-capable nation, its significance has grown far beyond that single achievement. Today, National Technology Day stands as a celebration of scientific excellence, innovation, and self-reliance, reflecting India's evolving role in the global technological landscape.

Under the visionary leadership of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Pokhran tests were more than strategic demonstrations — they were bold assertions of India's scientific capabilities and geopolitical autonomy. On that same historic day, India achieved another milestone: the successful maiden flight of Hansa-3, its first indigenously developed light aircraft. This serendipitous alignment of achievements encapsulated the diverse and ambitious nature of India's technological pursuits.