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IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw strongly countered remarks at the World Economic Forum suggesting India is a second-tier AI nation. Challenging the IMF-linked classification, he cited Stanford University rankings placing India third globally in AI preparedness and penetration. Vaishnaw said India is advancing across all AI layers and focusing on wide technology diffusion.

At the ongoing World Economic Forum, India's IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw storngly defended the country's position in the global AI landscape during a panel discussion in which the IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva was also present. Vaishnaw directly challenged remarks by the moderator calling India a second-tier AI power. He pointedly said, "I don't think your classification in the second bouquet is right. It's actually in the first."

In a pointed exchange, Vaishnaw asserted that India belongs 'clearly in the first group' of AI nations, citing advancements across multiple layers of AI architecture and favourable rankings from Stanford University.

Challenging the IMF's view

The discussion took place when a moderator described India as the ]'fastest-growing major economy in the world' and an AI player, but one in the 'second grouping' alluded to by managing director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva. The IMF chief had earlier outlined a bifurcation in global AI development, with leading nations like the US and China dominating, while others lag behind.

Vaishnaw swiftly rebutted this characterisation. "I don't know what the IMF criteria is but Stanford places India at 3rd in the world for AI preparedness. I don't think your classification is correct," he said.

He emphasised India's independent trajectory in AI, stating that the country is charting its own course irrespective of alignments with the US or China.

Defending India's AI efforts

Vaishnaw outlined India's comprehensive approach to AI, highlighting progress across five key layers - applications, models, chips, infrastructure, and energy.

"We are working on all the five layers, making very good progress in all the five layers," he explained. On the application layer, he predicted India would become "the biggest supplier of services to the world," leveraging AI to understand enterprise operations and deliver tailored solutions that drive return on investment (ROI).

He downplayed the need for massive models, noting, "Ninety-five percent of the work can happen with models which are 20 billion or 50 billion parameters. We are creating a bouquet of such models... which are now being deployed in multiple sectors to increase the productivity, to increase the efficiency, to increase the effective use of technology."

Vaishnaw stressed that India's focus is on widespread AI diffusion, ensuring the technology permeates various sectors for tangible benefits.

Stanford rankings bolster claim

To underpin his defence, Vaishnaw referenced Stanford University's assessments, which rank India third globally in AI penetration and preparedness, and second in AI talent.

"So our focus is very much on making sure that AI diffusion happens in a very big way," he added, contrasting this with what he implied were potentially outdated or narrow IMF criteria.

"I don't know what the IMF criteria has been, but Stanford places India as third in terms of AI penetration, in terms of AI preparedness, and in terms of AI talent. All the three, actually on AI talent, it is number two. So I don't think your classification in the second bouquet is right. It's actually in the first," Vaishnaw said at the end of his defence.