India, Aug. 15 -- As Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks his 13th address to the nation on Independence Day on Saturday, data centres and the rise of artificial intelligence found a mention in his speech.

Speaking from the Red Fort in New Delhi, the prime minister said: "Whether we talk about semiconductors or critical minerals, as we move towards the technologies of the future - and as the world moves in that direction - the importance of energy will continue to grow. It will be difficult to run the new world without energy. And therefore, whether it is chips, AI or data centres, we will need enormous amounts of electricity."

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These remarks come as part of India's push for energy security. PM ...