New Delhi: Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, addressed the possibility of AI regulation in India, emphasizing the government’s unique techno-legal approach, in response to APAC Media’s query.
“We have adopted an approach which is very different from many other geographies. Our approach is that techno-legal solutions will be the right way of solving problems in the world of technology. That is why we have started our AI Safety Institute, and this is a virtual institute. This is going to leverage the capabilities across the country, and we have given eight projects in the beginning and now five more themes we have taken up. So, eight and five—total 13 themes—on which various technological solutions are being created,” he told APAC Media.
Highlighting a practical application of this approach, Vaishnaw cited IIT Jodhpur’s deepfake detection project:
“For example, IIT Jodhpur is working on a project for detecting deepfakes. There is a deepfake of President Donald Trump’s speech, and using IIT Jodhpur’s solution, we are able to authentically say that yes, this is a deepfake, and now an FIR is filed against that. So, we are able to take those actions with the techno-legal approach.”
IndiaAI Mission: Major Announcements and Launches
At the launch event, Vaishnaw, along with IT Secretary S. Krishnan and Additional Secretary and CEO of the IndiaAI Mission Abhishek Singh, announced multiple initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s AI ecosystem. The new launches included:
- AIKosha – IndiaAI Datasets Platform
- IndiaAI Compute Portal for accessing GPUs
- Top 30 AI applications from the IndiaAI Innovation Challenge across five themes
- AI Competency Framework for Public Sector officials
- IndiaAI Startups Acceleration Program
- iGOT AI on iGOTKarmayogi
Expansion of Compute Resources and AI Infrastructure
Vaishnaw outlined the rapid expansion of compute capabilities under the IndiaAI Mission. “Our PM’s vision, which was approved by the Cabinet for creating a world-class AI ecosystem, has yielded significant results within a short span of time. We initially targeted 10,000 GPUs, but today, we already have 14,000 GPUs, with another 4,000 in the pipeline and many more coming in the forthcoming quarters.”
“We are using public funds to enhance compute facilities, while in many countries, these are in the hands of private companies,” he added.
He further highlighted the advantages of the AI Compute Portal, which will provide access to these resources for startups, application developers, researchers, and students.
AIKosh: A High-Quality Dataset Platform
Another major launch was AIKosh, a high-quality dataset platform that will play a crucial role in AI model training and development. “Today, AIKosh is functional. We have data from multiple ministries already available, including data from the Agriculture Department, weather forecasting, and logistics. Additionally, data from ‘Bhashini,’ which is very important for our own language sets, is also available on AIKosh.”
AI Training for Government Officials
In a push towards AI awareness and training among government officials, Vaishnaw announced advancements in the iGOT Karmayogi platform. “More than a million civil servants have registered for courses, and one and a half lakh civil servants have already completed their training.”
Boosting AI Innovation and Research
The government is also fostering AI-driven innovation by shortlisting 30 AI solutions from the IndiaAI Innovation Challenge. “The variety of applications available today is vast, demonstrating the innovation happening in India,” he remarked.
Moreover, the government is taking steps to decentralize AI development by setting up 27 IndiaAI Data Labs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
“We are also creating foundational-level courses in data and AI for 10th and 12th-grade students so that the next generation is well-prepared for the technological revolution underway. Additionally, fellowships for Master’s and PhD students are progressing well.”
Strengthening AI Research in Universities
Vaishnaw drew parallels with the government’s past initiatives in 5G and semiconductor research.
“Like we established labs in universities for 5G, and like we did in semiconductors—where 240 universities and colleges now have the latest tools for semiconductor design—the same approach is being taken in AI. A large number of universities, perhaps in the range of 100 to 150 or more, are getting the latest foundational tools for research in AI.”
India’s Vision for Technological Leadership
Looking ahead, Vaishnaw expressed confidence in India’s emerging leadership in AI and deep-tech sectors.
“In the coming five years, whether it is semiconductors, deep tech, telecom, defence tech, or any other emerging technological space, India is appearing as a major Top 5 technology nation.”
With these latest announcements, India is taking significant strides toward becoming a global AI powerhouse, focusing on public access to compute power, high-quality datasets, AI training, and fostering innovation across sectors.
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