Build India’s Own AI! Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Gives a Clarion Call to Young Graduates at VIT Convocation 2026
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urged VIT Vellore graduates to become creators of Artificial Intelligence rather than merely consumers, calling on them to develop technology that addresses India’s challenges and contributes to the country’s innovation ecosystem.
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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has called for India to become a creator of Artificial Intelligence (AI) rather than merely remain a consumer of the technology. Speaking as the chief guest at VIT Vellore’s convocation ceremony on August 22, she recalled how several problems related to pollution, traffic congestion and waste management have been addressed through collaborations with several Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
“Don’t just be users of artificial intelligence-build India’s own AI,” Gupta told the graduating students, urging them to take up similar roles after entering the workforce and contribute to solving problems in their cities while driving innovation across the country.
Gupta described the creation of AI in India as one of the greatest contributions graduates could make to their state and country. She highlighted the investments made by the Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the IndiaAI Mission, covering areas such as semiconductors, computing infrastructure, defence, space, drones, robotics and biotechnology.
Work Through Failure
Gupta said a country’s most valuable resource is not limited to its products and physical assets, but also includes its graduates and intellectual capital. Speaking about failure, she urged students to remain resilient and not allow setbacks to cause stress.
She asked students to work hard, understand the reasons behind their failures and use those lessons to improve. Gupta also said the talent of Indian engineers has been recognised globally and that Indian technology should receive similar recognition. She said India’s goals should be guided by the vision of “Make in India,” “Invest in India,” “Design in India” and “Brand in India.”
Higher Education Enrolment Ratio At 30%
The Union government aims to raise the higher education enrolment ratio to 50 per cent from the current level of around 30 per cent under the National Education Policy. VIT Chancellor G. Viswanathan cited enrolment ratios of 90 per cent in South Korea, 60 per cent in Japan, over 60 per cent in China, 40 per cent in Malaysia and 45 per cent in Thailand, and called for India to compete on this front.
The VIT Chancellor noted that India has around 1,400 universities, 54,000 colleges and 16,000 standalone higher educational institutions, with about 4.5 crore students currently enrolled in higher education.
Viswanathan said India has more than 50 lakh engineering seats compared with around 1.3 lakh medical seats. He further noted that more than 22 lakh students appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for these medical seats.
As a result, nearly 1 lakh Indian students go abroad annually to study medicine, including about 23,000 in China, 18,000 in Russia, 15,000 in the Philippines, 10,000 each in Kyrgyzstan and France, 9,000 in Bangladesh, 7,500 in Georgia, 5,000 each in Italy and Poland, and 3,000 each in Iran and Nepal.
Tamil Nadu Meets WHO Standards
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of one doctor per 1,000 people. Viswanathan said Tamil Nadu and other southern states have met this benchmark, while states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh face shortages, with ratios of around one doctor for every 2,000 to 2,300 people.
He underscored the need for greater investment in medical education and noted that India’s 840 medical colleges collectively offer around 1.3 lakh seats. Individual colleges typically admit around 100 to 150 students a year, compared with up to 400 in Britain and 800 to 1,200 in China.
Viswanathan suggested that increasing the intake to 1,000 students per institution could help India reach 8 lakh medical seats, provided adequate faculty and infrastructure are available.
A total of 11,276 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees were awarded during the ceremony, including 7,359 undergraduate and 3,917 postgraduate degrees. In addition, 781 students received PhD degrees and three students received integrated PhD degrees.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated a Centre for Advanced Research in Bacteriophage and Infectious Diseases at VIT.
Sahil Behl is an education journalist at Jagran with over a year of experience in journalism. Prior to joining Jagran, he worked as a Sub-Editor in NDTV's Education department, where he was responsible for writing and editing education-related content as well as managing the department's social media presence. At Jagran, he covers a wide range of education topics, including board examinations, school updates, admissions, and job notifications, while leveraging his editorial expertise and strong understanding of digital content strategy.
Sahil holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and has also completed an eight-month certification program in Data Science. Passionate about emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, he closely tracks their growing role in journalism and explores how they are transforming shaping the future of the media industry.
