India's Vision for AI: Development, Implementation, and Governance

Make AI in India, work for India is the vision as India embarks on AI revolution: Jitin Prasada

Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, also said that internet today is not merely a tool for connectivity, but a backbone of economies, societies, and individual aspirations. He added that India's transformative journey over the last decade, marked by rapid digitalisation and digital successes like UPI, Aadhaar, and Digital India, serves as a model for other nations.Union Minister Jitin Prasada on Monday asserted the vision to develop artificial intelligence (AI) in India, for India, and all, and said the country is poised for an AI revolution. Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, in a keynote address at the India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2024, said India is not only the largest democracy, but also a vibrant digital economy setting new benchmarks for innovation and inclusivity. He said discussions today should not only focus on addressing the challenges of internet governance but also on exploring transformative solutions. "Artificial intelligence is a cornerstone of these transformative solutions. Our vision is to make AI in India and make AI work for India, as well as AI for all. Today, India is placed for a transformative AI revolution," he said. The minister quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "If earlier, human civilisations were based around rivers and oceans, then later around highways...today's civilizations shall be based around fibre optic cables; that is the internet." He added that the internet today is not merely a tool for connectivity, but a backbone of economies, societies, and individual aspirations. "India has consistently demonstrated its firm's conviction to establish global shared principles in an open, free, and secure digital and technological future for all. Its participation in shaping the UN-proposed Global Digital Compact (GDC) remains crucial," Prasada said. The GDC is a proposed initiative by the United Nations aimed at establishing shared principles for the responsible use of digital technologies. It aims to shape a future where digital technologies are accessible, equitable, and secure for all citizens globally. India's transformative journey over the last decade, marked by rapid digitalisation and digital successes like UPI, Aadhaar, and Digital India, serves as a model for other nations, the minister further said. "95 per cent of our villages have been linked with 3G, 4G connectivity, with a special focus on most inaccessible areas. Our technology-enabled startup ecosystem has reached 600-plus districts in the country, with more than half of them being led by women...From direct benefit transfers to our DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure), our technological solutions have set new records in governance. "We'll ensure that technology becomes the force multiplier in the country and provides opportunities to everyone," he said. Yet, alongside all this progress, it is important to address the critical challenges of cybersecurity threats, misinformation, and network disruptions, he noted. "A robust internet infrastructure cannot exist without adopting advanced security protocols and real-time threat detection systems. This will ensure that our digital networks remain reliable and secure, even in the face of evolving challenges. The key to achieving this lies in collaboration, driven by engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders of whom the most significant are the users of the net," he voiced. Advocating for building a green and sustainable internet, Prasada said the rapid growth of the digital economy comes with environmental challenges, such as high energy consumption of data centres and electronic waste. He urged stakeholders to integrate sustainability into their digital strategies. The IIGF 2024, organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), is being held on December 9-10, 2024.

Government's vision is to make AI in India, make AI work for India, and AI for all: Jitin Prasada

India is pushing for greater representation in global internet governance forums. The government is prioritizing a sustainable internet and addressing power supply challenges for data centers as AI adoption grows. Over 20,000 GPUs are expected to be available by next June under the IndiaAI mission.Correcting India's underrepresentation in global digital governance fora where key decisions are made is a priority for the government, as India has one of the largest internet user bases in the world, minister of state for electronics and information technology Jitin Prasada said on Monday. "Despite being the largest connected nation globally, our presence in the critical global public forums where global standards and technologies for the Internet are determined - it is notably underrepresented," the minister said. "It is a priority of our government to address this imbalance and ensure that our nation's perspectives contribute significantly to shaping the global discourse on internet governance." On artificial intelligence (AI), Prasada said India is poised for a transformative "AI revolution". He added that the government's vision is to make AI in India, make AI work for India, and AI for all. Ensuring a green and sustainable internet is another priority, the minister said, urging all stakeholders to integrate sustainability into their digital strategy. He was speaking at the India Internet Governance Forum in the national capital. The IT ministry is in discussions with the ministry of power, the ministry of new and renewable energy, and other related agencies to work out a roadmap to ensure sufficient capacity for uninterrupted power supply to data centres for India's digital future, especially as AI adoption grows, said IT ministry secretary S Krishnan, speaking at the same event. "Today, the biggest question is availability of power," Krishnan said. "As we adopt AI more and more, (the question is) do you have enough power supply to power that - otherwise, where do you make sure that this power supply comes up in a way that we are able to address this issue?" ET reported in November that the government is exploring the feasibility of providing dedicated, uninterrupted power to large data centre parks either through direct lines from power producers or by setting up small nuclear plants nearby. Krishnan said that when it comes to AI use in the Indian context, existing laws are adequate to address issues like misrepresentation. However, the issue of fixing responsibilities and the classification of different kinds of intermediaries under the IT Act may need to be examined and deliberated in the context of AI. On AI compute capacity, Abhishek Singh, additional secretary at the IT ministry, said that by June next year, over 20,000 GPUs (graphics processing units) are expected to be available under the IndiaAI Mission's accessible compute infrastructure pillar. The government has received proposals from 19 companies for the GPU tender. While the bids are under evaluation, Singh said that a minimum of 1,000 GPUs is expected from each company, and even if half of the 19 qualify, over 20,000 GPUs will likely be available, a part of which will be accessible early next year.