Former G20 Sherpa and CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, has countered the notion that India has fallen behind in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race. Speaking at the Business Today India@100 event, Kant emphatically stated that India is poised to become the next major hub for AI, primarily due to its unparalleled human resource capabilities.
Addressing the session titled ‘The Future of Make in India,’ Kant acknowledged that while critical components like chips and lithography machines originate from other nations, India's crucial contribution lies in data. He highlighted that India is projected to supply 22 percent of the world's data, coupled with its top-tier technical talent and progressive policy framework.
Massive Data Center Investments & Global Talent Inflow
Kant underscored the unprecedented investment flowing into India's data center infrastructure, with approximately $200 billion earmarked for new facilities. This massive capital injection signifies that data processing and AI talent will increasingly be concentrated within the country. He noted a significant trend of global AI talent, particularly from the US, choosing to work with Indian startups and Global Capability Centers (GCCs).
“Many people think we have totally lost the AI race, which is totally incorrect to my mind,” Kant remarked. “India will provide 22 per cent of the global data. India has the best technical talent for that. India has very progressive policies and almost $200 billion of data centres are going to be set up here.”
Focus on Application-Driven AI and Skill Transformation
While acknowledging that the era of large language models (LLMs) might be dominated by powers like China and the US, Kant emphasized that the application world of AI remains wide open for India. He advocated for driving AI applications across various sectors, including agriculture, education, healthcare, nutrition, and manufacturing, to leverage its full potential.
Regarding concerns about potential job displacement due to AI, Kant drew parallels with past technological revolutions, asserting that new technologies historically create more jobs than they eliminate, albeit requiring new skill sets. He pointed to a substantial global shortage of AI engineers, machine learning specialists, and data scientists. Kant stressed the urgent need for India to completely overhaul its educational curriculum and skilling initiatives to prepare its workforce for the AI-driven future, positioning the country to supply 30 percent of the world's skilled AI manpower.