India and AI: The illusion of inclusion

As global powers jockey for AI dominance, India, the co-chair of the Paris summit, must urgently reassess its role as one of consumer rather than a contributor

- SRINATH SRIDHARAN

AS WORLD LEADERS convene in Paris for yet another high-profile artificial intelligence (AI) summit, the grand declarations of global cooperation and ethical governance will once again fill the air. Yet, beneath the diplomatic niceties, the hard truth remains—AI is now a battleground for supremacy. The US, China, and the European Union (EU) are working at securing their own dominance, setting rules that serve their strategic interests, and ensuring they dictate the terms of global AI governance.

India, a co-chair of the summit, finds itself at a crossroads. It has the ambition but not the strategy, the talent but not the infrastructure, and the intent but not the urgency. While its political leadership speaks of AI's transformative potential, the country has no dedicated AI regulation, no overarching policy framework, and no meaningful global AI footprint. A Personal Data Protection Act exists, but AI governance remains a series of sporadic statements rather than structured policymaking. Without a clear regulatory stance, India risks being reduced to a passive player—an AI consumer rather than a contributor.

Jugaad, India's famed frugal innovation, might work in some industries, but it is not a substitute for AI excellence. Global AI leadership demands scale, precision, and investment, not makeshift solutions. India cannot merely be an "affordable AI hub" for foreign companies. Without a serious push, India's AI ambitions will remain just that—ambitions.