Paris: The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, the IndiaAI Mission, and Sciences Po Paris, hosted the Second India-France AI Policy Roundtable at the Sciences Po Paris university campus.
Organized as an official side-event of the AI Action Summit 2025, the roundtable facilitated discussions on global AI policy, governance, and innovation, reinforcing Indo-French cooperation in artificial intelligence.
Strengthening AI Governance and Global Collaboration
The session opened with remarks from Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, who underscored India’s commitment to responsible AI development, equitable benefit-sharing, and a robust techno-legal framework for AI governance.
Prof. Sood emphasized the necessity of interoperable data flows and collaborative efforts in AI safety, research, and innovation. He highlighted the potential of India and France to align their policy frameworks and technological advancements for global AI governance.
Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and CEO of IndiaAI Mission, along with H.E. Henri Verdier, Ambassador for Digital Affairs, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, delivered co-chair remarks.
They outlined key focus areas including developing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for AI, advancing AI foundation models, and addressing challenges in global AI governance.
They also stressed the importance of a balanced approach to cross-border data flows, acknowledging the absence of effective arbitration mechanisms and the need for aligned views on data sovereignty.
Key Interventions and Discussions
The roundtable saw participation from key Indian and French policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders. Among them were Amit A. Shukla, Joint Secretary, Cyber Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs of India, and Kavita Bhatia, Scientist ‘G’ & Group Coordinator, AI & Emerging Technology and Bhashini, MeitY.
From France, Clément Bacchi, International Digital Policy Lead, Directorate General of Enterprises, and Hélène Costa, Project Director, Ministry for Ecological Transition, contributed insights on AI’s role in sustainability and governance.
Industry and research representatives included Sharad Sharma (Co-Founder, iSPIRT Foundation), Francis Rousseaux (International Technical Expert on AI, iSPIRT), Sarayu Natarajan (Founder, Aapti Institute), Charbel-Raphaël Segerie (Executive Director, Centre pour la Sécurité de l’IA), and Saurabh Singh (Head, Digital and AI Policy, AWS India & South Asia).
Discussions focused on democratizing AI access, building sovereign AI models, and defining ethical AI deployment standards. Participants emphasized the need for multilingual Large Language Models (LLMs), federated AI computing infrastructure, and interoperable access to AI research, datasets, and high-performance computing resources.
India-France AI Cooperation: A Roadmap Forward
The second roundtable built upon discussions from the First India-France AI Policy Roundtable, held at IISc Bengaluru on 25 January 2025, during the Technology Dialogue 2025. The first session concentrated on inclusive AI frameworks, diverse datasets, compute infrastructure, and foundational models, setting the groundwork for deeper bilateral AI cooperation.
The Second India-France AI Policy Roundtable outlined the following key objectives:
- Inclusive AI Frameworks – Ensuring AI benefits reach underserved populations, particularly in low-income nations.
- Diverse Datasets – Promoting representative datasets for equitable AI-driven solutions.
- Infrastructure and Skills – Addressing gaps in AI computing power, data access, and workforce training.
- Foundational AI Models – Leveraging AI models for social and economic impact, including last-mile connectivity.
- Global AI Governance – Strengthening Indo-French collaboration to align AI policies with shared societal values.
- Public-Private Partnerships – Encouraging AI development through industry collaboration and proof-of-concept use cases.
- Sustainability and Health – Exploring AI applications in clean energy and healthcare.
- Academic and Data Collaboration – Supporting researcher exchange programs and secure data-sharing initiatives.
- Ethical AI Development – Tackling AI biases, deepfakes, and ensuring responsible AI deployment.
- Sector-Specific AI Growth – Defining AI policy roadmaps for sectors such as offshore data centres, AI in the natural sciences, and energy-efficient computing.
The discussions underscored a commitment to fostering AI innovation while ensuring robust governance mechanisms. By addressing AI ethics, sustainability, and cross-border research collaboration, India and France aim to set global benchmarks for AI safety and regulatory frameworks.
The roundtable concluded with an agreement to continue policy dialogue and joint research initiatives, positioning India and France as leaders in trustworthy AI governance and innovation on the global stage.
