Technology Diplomacy in 2025: India's Role in Regulating AI and Data Governance

In multiple bustling cities in India, teams of young techies are crafting algorithms that power rural diagnostics. Meanwhile, India's voice echoes in global forums as it negotiates the rules of Al ethics.

- By Prof. Himanshu Rai

Welcome to the India of 2025, leading innovation and diplomacy in technology.

From being the world's third-largest startup ecosystem to housing approximately 118 unicorns valued at ₹29.91 lakh crores (December 2024), India's remarkable rise places it at the crossroads of technological development and governance on a global scale.

But how did this growth happen? India's ascent in the tech world is no accident. Initiatives like Aadhaar—the world's most extensive biometric ID system—and UPI, processing over 15,547 crore transactions (amounting to ₹223 lakh crores from January to November 2024), have crafted a robust digital infrastructure. The ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’ campaigns have encouraged entrepreneurship, while prestigious institutions like the IIMs, IITs, and IIITs cultivated a skilled workforce. Global partnerships have facilitated knowledge exchange, solidifying India's reputation as a tech centre. In 2023, RBI stated that India's exports of software services (excluding their sales through overseas commercial presence) increased by 2.8 percent during 2023-24 to ₹15.92 lakh crores. This digital ecosystem doesn't just power revolution; it democratizes access to technology.