New Delhi: Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda has stirred a political debate after criticising India’s technology landscape and claiming that the country has failed to convert its vast talent pool into globally competitive products.
In an interview with a YouTube channel, Pitroda said India has produced a large number of young professionals, but much of that talent has benefited global corporations rather than domestic innovation.
“We created a lot of young talent, but it is raw. It ultimately helped multinationals worldwide in their programming, banking, legal systems, industry, manufacturing, and logistics,” he said.
Remarks on technology and innovation
Pitroda argued that India has not built technology platforms of global scale. He pointed out the absence of an indigenous social media platform and major global technology giants originating from India.
“Neither have we created our own social media platform, nor have we started a big company like Microsoft. We have not even developed our own operating system. It is a shame that a country with 1.5 billion people does not have its own operating system. We could not even build an operating system for mobile phones. We have really used our talent to serve others,” Pitroda remarked.
BJP hits back
The BJP responded swiftly. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused Pitroda of repeatedly targeting India with misleading claims. In a post on X, Poonawalla said, “So after the TOPLESS act by Congress now comes chief advisor of ‘Lashkar E Congress’ — Sam Pitroda. Once again on agenda of bashing Bharat. Uncle Sam mocks Bharat with lies. Says shame on India they haven’t developed even OS for mobiles,”.
He listed several Indian-developed operating systems, including BOSS Linux, Maya OS, PrimeOS, BharOS, Indus OS and NxtQuantum OS. He also cited India’s digital payments platform UPI, vaccine development under the Atmanirbhar initiative, and economic growth figures as evidence of progress.
“Congress hates India…” he concluded.
Past remarks resurface
Pitroda’s latest comments come amid a history of controversial statements. In 2024, he advocated improving ties with neighbouring countries, including Pakistan. Speaking to IANS, he had said, “Our foreign policy, according to me, must first focus on our neighbourhood. Can we really substantially improve relationships with our neighbours?… I’ve been to Pakistan, and I must tell you, I felt at home. I’ve been to Bangladesh, I’ve been to Nepal, and I feel at home. I don’t feel like I’m in a foreign country…”
He also faced backlash over comments on India’s diversity and earlier remarks questioning whether Ram Mandir or inflation was the more pressing issue.