Strengthening India’s Regulatory Framework, AI Action Summit 2025 & More
The AI4India Weekly #35
As India continues to make strides in artificial intelligence, the focus is increasingly shifting towards building a regulatory framework that promotes both innovation and responsible use. This edition of the AI4India Weekly dives into India's efforts to harness the power of AI for inclusive growth, sustainable development, and global leadership. From policy roadmaps to women-led initiatives and India’s growing influence on the global stage, the AI revolution in India is poised for transformative change. Join us as we explore the latest developments and what they mean for India’s AI future.
Charting India’s AI Future: A Regulatory Roadmap
By Shashi Shekhar Vempati
India stands at a critical juncture in its AI journey, with the potential to balance innovation and regulation in a way that addresses its unique challenges. As global discussions on AI governance grow, Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Co-founder of AI4India.org, emphasizes the need for a robust regulatory framework that tackles issues like algorithmic bias, data misuse, and automation’s impact on employment. While the Digital Personal Data Protection Act provides a foundation, India must evolve its policies to reflect its socio-cultural diversity and vast human resource potential.
A key priority is building a vast repository of publicly accessible Indian datasets to ensure AI models cater to India’s specific needs. From language diversity to cultural richness, digitizing this wealth of data can enable developers to create indigenous solutions and position India as a global leader in value-added data services like annotation and enrichment. This could spark a new wave of AI-driven employment opportunities, leveraging India’s skilled workforce to meet global demand.
AI also presents a transformative opportunity for India’s public sector, which can leapfrog into the digital age by integrating AI-enabled public goods. By addressing language barriers and capacity gaps, these tools can bridge the last-mile digital divide in education, governance, and public services. With its demographic dividend and technological expertise, India has the chance to craft a regulatory roadmap that not only safeguards societal interests but also fosters inclusive growth and global leadership.
PM Modi’s Visit to Paris AI Summit: Strengthening India’s Role in Global AI Governance
The AI Action Summit, set to take place in Paris on February 10-11, 2025, will gather global leaders to explore AI’s transformative impact on productivity, innovation, and competitiveness. India’s participation, marked by Prime Minister Modi’s visit, underscores the country’s ambition to shape AI governance and policy. The summit will feature initiatives like the Call for Projects – AI for Efficiency, which invites submissions of groundbreaking AI applications in business, industry, and public administration, fostering a global exchange of innovative solutions. Visit this link to get more details on the summit and know how you can participate.
PM Modi’s presence at the summit signals India's growing leadership in AI innovation. It aligns with India’s ongoing efforts to harness AI for social equity, sustainability, and economic growth. His visit reflects India's commitment to embracing AI for inclusive development, as the nation strives to position itself at the forefront of global AI governance, ensuring that AI technologies serve both national and global interests.
Empowering Women Leaders with AI for Grassroots Governance
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged women representatives from Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and technological innovations to enhance governance at the grassroots level. Speaking at the 'Panchayat se Parliament 2.0' event, Birla emphasized that embracing AI could drive sustainable development and help create more people-oriented governance. With over 500 women PRI representatives in attendance, the event highlighted the growing role of women in leadership, showcasing their transformative impact on India's democracy and emphasizing the need for AI to address local challenges, bridge language barriers, and improve service delivery.
Birla also acknowledged the entrepreneurial spirit of tribal women, many of whom are spearheading self-reliant villages through traditional crafts and online businesses. He encouraged PRI representatives to use AI tools like Sansad Bhashini to foster inclusive communication and drive solutions to issues such as clean drinking water, sanitation, and education. Highlighting the importance of women-led development, Birla called for greater support to help women-led enterprises reach global markets, contributing to both economic growth and the preservation of India’s rich cultural heritage.
India’s Vision for AI and Sustainability at WEF 2025: A Global Leadership Showcase
India is set to take a prominent role at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2025. The Indian delegation, led by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, will spotlight AI, sustainability, and global partnerships, reflecting the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age." India will focus on sustainable economic growth, innovation in AI-driven sectors, and its leadership in green technologies, such as its role in the International Solar Alliance. High-level discussions will cover topics like FDI, infrastructure development, and India’s growing role as a global partner in supply chain diversification and investment.
At the forum, India’s sessions will highlight its achievements in AI, renewables, and economic resilience. The delegation’s unified vision includes promoting digital inclusion, skill development, and climate action, aiming to inspire global collaboration. This engagement positions India as a key player in shaping an equitable and sustainable future, further solidifying its global leadership in the Intelligent Age.
In the News
The Indian government has engaged 13 firms under the IndiaAI Mission to accelerate AI adoption and service offerings across key sectors, enhancing India’s AI capabilities for the future. Read more
Andhra Pradesh will soon house India’s first private semiconductor facility, marking a significant step in the country’s push for technological self-reliance. Read more
MEITY and UNESCO hosted a consultation at IIIT Bengaluru to discuss AI readiness and strengthen India’s AI capabilities in various sectors. Read more
NIFT Mumbai has unveiled VisionNXT, India's first AI-driven fashion forecasting platform, setting a new benchmark for the fashion industry’s future. Read more
#DataDaan - Donate for a Digital India
Aligned with the IndiaAI mission and the efforts from MeitY to ensure the availability of AI-usable data across govt, the #DataDaan campaign by AI4India.org is inviting participation from individuals and organizations to contribute valuable data for AI development in India. This initiative aims to gather diverse datasets to enrich the national data repository, supporting innovation across various sectors. We encourage everyone to read the detailed white paper on the campaign - https://bit.ly/DataDaan and fill out the form - http://bit.ly/3XfxD3H to contribute to this transformative effort.
NOTE: The views expressed by the authors are their own. AI4India as a forum does not endorse any comments on specific brands, products, platforms or companies.
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