Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw sets the ball rolling with his inaugural address where he also opined on Bharat’s freedom of expression.
The inaugural session of The Times Now Summit 2025, themed ‘Keeping Bharat Ahead’ saw Vineet Jain, MD of The Times Group, and Ashwini Vaishnaw deliver the welcome address followed by an insightful session on ‘Keeping Bharat Ahead’ by the latter.
Mr. Vineet Jain, MD of The Times Group inaugurated the event with his vision of a progressive Bharat; “Bharat is not just a nation. We are an ancient civilization, known for wisdom and resilience, shaping the world throughout history. As we step into an era of unprecedented global transformation our challenge is clear, how do we ensure that Bharat doesn’t just keep pace with the world, but leads it? In our resolute journey towards becoming an authoritative global superpower, it is important to strategize what will ensure that our trajectory remain steadfast.”
Mr Jain said that he was highly impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Bharat fusing tradition and innovation. “In fact, I was struck by PM’s recent podcast where he outlined his vision of Bharat fusing tradition and innovation –and progressing steadily while still being anchored to the nation’s spiritual and cultural foundations.”
Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology reiterated how the four pillar policy will drive the economy take keep Bharat ahead.
He said, “Our economy is set to grow consistently, significantly increasing citizens’ income due to the clear policy framework established by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, implemented systematically. It’s built upon four pillars. The first pillar is public investment in social, digital, and physical infrastructure, meaning the foundation of the country. Close to 11 crore rupees are being invested. Today, we are the second largest 5G country, our railways are becoming the second largest carrier at 1.6 billion tons this year, and our highways network is among the largest in the world. We have doubled the number of medical colleges and IITs in the last decade.”
He further added, “The second major focus is manufacturing. Electronics manufacturing, once negligible, is now one of our top three export items. We have five semiconductor units under construction and will soon see our first Indian chip rollout, with telecom manufacturing significantly growing. The third pillar is inclusive growth; 80 crore people are benefiting with changes like 13 crore gaining toilets in their homes. Access to basic facilities has vastly improved in a short time frame.”
Speaking about the sweeping overhaul of criminal laws, he added, “We have repealed 15,000 laws, unprecedented in history, with a focus on simplifying laws and removing unnecessary hurdles. Today, we have a new Telecom Act of 2023. The three new laws for reforming the criminal justice system represent the biggest reform since Independence. This reform in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is aimed at fostering a more ‘just’ society.”
Speaking on the freedom of speech in India, he stated, “I would like to very categorically say that we have to work as a society. We should work within the framework of our Constitution where the freedom of speech, freedom of expression is very well laid out. One of the most important rights that we have is this and the entire country respects it, the judiciary respects it, the executive respects it, the legislature respects it. All the arms of the government respect this law and that is part of our constitution. The constitution has also laid certain safeguards on it and those safeguards are as important as the rights because if everybody follows the proper safeguards then the society will work in a harmonious way. And ultimately, what is right in a different society, let’s say the Western society, may not be right in our society. There are different cultural contexts of everything. The way we have to express ourselves should be within the harmony of the society, I would say. Harmony of society, but some people who make jokes or are stand-up comedians, for them to be summoned by police, isn’t that a little too extreme? If the law of the land requires that, that should be done.”
Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, shed light on the government’s decision on implementing UCC in Uttarakhand, ban reels near Char Dham temples, and more. He added, “Uttarakhand has always been special—it is the land of Yoga, the land of Ayurveda, the land of sages… it is ‘Devbhoomi’. Uttarakhand is a very peaceful state. Everyone lives in brotherhood and harmony. We promised the people during the elections that we would bring the UCC, and we have fulfilled our promise. The UCC was implemented in Uttarakhand on January 27. For the UCC, we consulted with all sections of society, incorporating people’s opinions and thoughts into the draft. The UCC is a law for complete protection.”
Speaking about implementing a ban on recording reels near Char Dham, he added, “The site for pilgrimage and tourism should be different.”
Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Gates Foundation, virtually joined the Times Now Summit 2025. He added, “Back in 1997, during my first visit to India, I predicted that if India continued investing in education, infrastructure, and technology, it would become a global superpower. By prioritizing technology and innovation, India has made incredible progress—reducing maternal and child mortality, improving sanitation, and containing deadly diseases. The country now supplies 60% of the world’s vaccines and pioneers AI-powered climate-smart agriculture. Digital platforms like Aadhaar, UPI, and MOSIP have set a global standard. India is a major player in startups and AI and continues to drive game-changing innovations. Its leadership is shaping the future, proving that ambition, innovation, and local leadership can transform millions of lives.”
Times Network, India’s leading broadcast network, is hosting its latest edition of Times Now Summit 2025, co-presented by Dream Sports and Powered by Pernod Ricard India in New Delhi. The event is supported by State Partners, including the Governments of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, and Haryana, along with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham as Knowledge Partner, Ekam as Associate Partner, Da Milano as Luxury Partner, Bennett University as Education Partner, and Times OOH as Outdoor Partner.
The Times Now Summit 2025 continues with more key sessions and thought-provoking discussions shaping India’s future.
For more details, visit – https://www.timesnowsummit.com/