New Delhi: In a passionate appeal to boost India’s artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha called for the evolution of the “Make in India” initiative into “Make AI in India” during a Rajya Sabha session on Tuesday. Chadha highlighted the urgent need for India to strengthen its position in the global AI race, pointing out the country’s current status as an AI consumer rather than a producer.
Chadha drew attention to the stark contrast between India’s potential and its current standing in the AI field. He noted that while India ranks third globally in AI skill penetration and boasts a significant talent pool, with Indians comprising 15% of the global AI workforce, the country lags behind in AI patents and production.
“Between 2010 and 2022, the US accounted for 60% of the world’s AI patents, China secured 20%, while India, despite being the world’s fifth-largest economy, managed just half of China’s share,” Chadha stated. He emphasized that although the US and China have a four to five-year head start in AI development, India’s vast talent pool and digital infrastructure provide a strong foundation for growth.
To bridge this gap, the AAP leader proposed several concrete steps. These include developing indigenous AI chips, establishing a dedicated AI infrastructure fund, offering research grants and tax breaks for AI-focused initiatives, preventing brain drain of top AI talent, and providing indigenous AI startups access to large volumes of data currently dominated by tech giants.
Chadha also stressed the need for increased financial investment in AI research, comparing India’s current spending of 0.7% of its GDP to the US’s 3.5% and China’s 2.5%. He argued that boosting this investment is crucial for India to become an AI producer and compete on the global stage.
“In the future, the nation that dominates AI will lead the world and become a global guru,” Chadha concluded, urging the government to prioritize AI development alongside its existing “Make in India” initiative.
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