New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in late November said that the country is now more conscious of the fact that where and who processes its data. Speaking at the 7th Global Technology Summit, Jaishankar said that India’s rise is linked to its technological advancements.

He also underlined the significance of technology in the contemporary world order, especially in the current geopolitical scenario. The Minister further said that technology and globalisation are essentially issues of political science and should not be seen merely as economic issues.

Describing data as the new oil, Dr Jaishankar said that technology is assuming political dimensions rapidly. He further said that the world cannot pretend that there is something neutral about technology. “Technology is no more neutral than economics or any other activity. It can be said whether its data or oil or data as the new oil... It needs to be understood that there is a very strong political connotation that is inbuilt into it (technology),” he added.