Unlocking India’s Potential in Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize the world, driving economic growth, enhancing public services, and tackling global challenges. From detecting diseases early to improving agriculture and disaster preparedness, AI is reshaping societies worldwide. However, access to critical resources like compute power, data, and infrastructure is shaping competitive advantage in this technological revolution.

India recognizes the importance of democratizing AI capabilities. Through initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission, the country aims to make AI accessible to all by treating compute, data, and models as public enablers. By building open and scalable digital infrastructure, India seeks to promote inclusion, foster innovation, and achieve shared progress.

At the World Economic Forum, Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw outlined India’s five-layer AI framework, emphasizing the need for coordinated progress across energy systems, compute infrastructure, hardware, models, and applications. This comprehensive vision aims to anchor AI development in reliable energy systems and domestic compute capacity while fostering innovation aligned with national priorities.

India’s unique approach lies in its architecture of access. The country has established a common compute platform with 38,000 GPUs accessible at an affordable rate, fostering a conducive environment for domestic startups to thrive. By offering subsidies for model training and inference workloads, India ensures that cost does not hinder innovation, empowering local players in the AI space.

Central to India’s strategy is the development of indigenous large and small language models, promoting algorithmic sovereignty. These models, trained on Indian datasets and hosted on domestic infrastructure, aim to reduce bias and ensure inclusivity in AI systems. By grounding AI advancements in India’s linguistic and cultural diversity, the country strives for technological self-reliance and strategic autonomy.

The upcoming India AI Impact Summit will showcase India’s achievements in AI and its commitment to measurable impact. With thematic pillars focusing on democratizing AI resources, fostering inclusive development, and harnessing AI for planetary resilience, the summit aims to address historical constraints faced by developing nations.

India’s approach serves as a model for the Global South, demonstrating how openness and innovation can coexist with sovereignty. The country’s sovereign AI models, developed as open-source resources, are designed for adaptation across diverse contexts, offering valuable lessons for other nations looking to build their AI ecosystems.

As AI continues to play a pivotal role in economic competitiveness and national resilience, developing nations must invest in AI capabilities responsibly and sustainably. India’s journey in AI exemplifies the possibilities of leveraging technology for inclusive growth and global collaboration while maintaining control over critical digital systems.