India Shaping AI Governance Policies: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman reportedly said that India is moving beyond merely leading the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and is shaping how the technology is governed. 

As per news agency PTI, Sitharaman made the comments while addressing the convocation ceremony of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Kottayam. 

“India is not just experimenting with AI. We are not just talking about AI or researching it. We are actually implementing it at scale and across various sectors,” Sitharaman said.

The FM said that India is ready for AI, adding that the demand for AI-driven solutions is also high in the country. Citing her rationale, the FM said the country clocked 3 Bn AI-related app downloads in 2024, while the US and China recorded 1.5 Bn and 1.3 Bn downloads, respectively.

Noting that India’s appointment as a co-chair of the recent AI Action Summit in Paris was a recognition of the country’s global position in the sector, Sitharaman, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underlined that AI is not just a matter of “national significance but a global responsibility”.

“What he (PM Modi) said gives us a very big message. Use AI, but use it responsibly. Do not misuse it, do not use it unethically… So, it is very important for us to have AI that is ethical, inclusive, and trustworthy,” she added.

The FM also emphasised the steps taken by the Centre to foster a vibrant AI ecosystem in the country, including the INR 10,300 Cr IndiaAI Mission for building computing infrastructure, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting AI talent from across the globe, and financing AI startups.

The development comes a day after it was reported that the Centre has received at least 67 proposals for building an indigenous AI foundational model, including applications for building 20 large language models (LLMs) from homegrown AI startups such as Sarvam AI, CoRover and Ola’s Krutrim.

The electronics and IT ministry (MeitY) is reportedly setting up a “high-level technical committee” to evaluate the said proposals. The panel, once constituted, will take a call on the feasibility of the submitted proposals in a month.

The comments also come a month after IndiaAI Mission invited proposals from Indian startups and enterprises for building an India-specific AI foundational model. Just weeks ago, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the country would build its own foundational AI model in the next 10 months.