BENGALURU Artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum technology are likely to become the next major focus of infrastructure investment in India, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. Her remarks came as India seeks to build capacity for emerging technologies while widening access to digital tools across businesses and key sectors of the economy for national development. Speaking at an interactive session at IIT Madras Alumni Association’s Sangam 2026 in Bengaluru, Sitharaman said India must strengthen its existing digital infrastructure and create greater capacity to support AI adoption across sectors. “So the next large investment in infrastructure would, I think, be AI, semiconductor chips, and building on them quantum,” she said. Sitharaman said India still needs substantial investment in AI hardware, along with teachers and institutions capable of continuously upgrading their skills and providing AI-based knowledge. She also highlighted the need for AI solutions for micro, small and medium enterprises across different industries. Businesses, she said, would need access to technology as well as trainers who can help them use AI to improve productivity and compete globally. She described AI investment as the next frontier and said academia and industry should help determine the stage and scale of investment. Sitharaman also said India could achieve economic growth of more than 10 per cent, though faster growth would require greater efforts across sectors and could accelerate progress towards Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat. The finance minister said technology and startup-led innovation should reach more sectors, including agriculture, where drones, precision mapping and technology-enabled improvements in markets and productivity could be used. She also invited suggestions on developing early-stage and patient capital for deep-tech hardware startups, which can take several years to generate revenue.