Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday asserted that India is firmly positioned among the world’s leading artificial intelligence economies, rejecting perceptions that the country operates in a secondary tier of global AI development.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Vaishnaw said India’s scale, talent base and digital public infrastructure place it in the top league of AI-driven economies alongside the most advanced nations. He emphasised that India’s strengths lie not only in software talent but also in its growing capabilities across data, compute infrastructure and large-scale real-world applications.
Vaishnaw said India’s digital transformation over the past decade has created a strong foundation for AI adoption, pointing to platforms such as Aadhaar, UPI and other digital public goods that operate at population scale. According to him, these systems generate vast volumes of anonymised data and use cases that allow AI models to be deployed and refined in ways few other economies can replicate.
The minister also highlighted India’s expanding pool of engineers, researchers and startups working on artificial intelligence, noting that the country is increasingly moving beyond back-end services to building core AI models, platforms and solutions. He said the government’s focus is on ensuring access to affordable computing power, high-quality datasets and policy frameworks that encourage innovation while maintaining safeguards.
Vaishnaw reiterated that India does not view AI only as a productivity tool for businesses but as a transformative technology that can improve governance, healthcare, education and agriculture. He said the emphasis is on inclusive and responsible AI, where benefits reach citizens at scale rather than remaining confined to a few companies or sectors.
His remarks come amid intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence, with countries racing to secure talent, investment and strategic advantage in emerging technologies. India has recently announced initiatives to support domestic AI models, boost semiconductor manufacturing and strengthen research capabilities as part of its broader digital and technology strategy.
By positioning India as a top-tier AI economy, Vaishnaw signalled the government’s intent to shape global conversations on artificial intelligence and underline India’s ambition to be a creator, not just a consumer, of advanced AI technologies.