New Delhi: India will lead the world in artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, asserting that the AI leadership should remain in the Indian hands.
Addressing the ‘Startup Mahakumbh’ event, the prime minister lauded the country’s startup ecosystem and encouraged entrepreneurs to create Indian solutions for global applications.
“We are in a new era of AI technology, and the world acknowledges that India will have an upper hand in AI. It is now our priority to ensure that we do not let go of this opportunity,” he said.
Modi said initiatives like the National Quantum Mission, India AI Mission, and the India Semiconductor Mission will create numerous opportunities for young innovators and global investors.
“The leadership of AI capabilities will and should remain in the hands of India…I am confident that the spirit of ‘Indian solutions for global applications’ will be a force…solutions by Indian innovators will solve problems for many countries,” he said.
The prime minister said he was making use of AI technology for the election campaign and sharing his statements in Tamil, Telugu and other languages.
Vowing to make India the world’s third largest economy in his third term, Modi said the startups will play a big role in India’s progress.
“India is the third largest startup ecosystem with 1.25 lakh registered startups, employing about 12 lakh youth. We have more than 110 unicorns. Our startups have filed about 12,000 patents,” he said, adding that a better mechanism for funding startups was currently in the works.
The prime minister said the startup revolution was being led by youth from Tier-II and Tier-III cities in a wide range of sectors including agriculture, textiles, medicine, transport, space, yoga and Ayurveda. The Indian youth are choosing to become “job creators” rather than “job seekers,” he said.
He underlined the role of the National Research Foundation and a Rs 1 trillion fund for research and innovation via the interim Budget to address future needs in the sunrise sector areas.Emphasising the country’s roadmap for becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047, he acknowledged the presence of investors, incubators, academicians, researchers, industry members, and present and future entrepreneurs.
