India Pushes for Democratisation of AI, Says Ambassador Vinay Kwatra at US-India Tech Forum

Speaking at an event here, Kwatra said the recent AI summit in India brought together global leaders, scientists and industry to shape a shared vision.

"One of the driving thrust...was eventually the democratisation of AI," he said.

He explained the idea as wider access to AI outcomes. "If the end product of this technology is intelligence... the diffusion of that intelligence has to be democratised for the benefit of people," he said.

Kwatra said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approach is clear. "AI for all in many ways," he said, adding that the idea was captured in the New Delhi Declaration.

He said the summit showed convergence across global innovation systems. "You saw convergence of the multiple innovation ecosystem," he said.

Kwatra said more than 20 heads of state and government attended, along with global research communities.

He also pointed to growing India-US cooperation. "We could also sign a joint cooperative framework between India and the US in this space," he said.

Kwatra said the partnership spans technology, innovation and manufacturing. These links are shaping supply chains and economic activity.

He said AI is both current and emerging. "Artificial intelligence is both current and naturally emerging at a scale and speed which is very difficult... to fathom," he said.

Kwatra said progress should be seen as a series of gains. "I... would not want to frame it as one single success... I see this in a series," he said.

He cited semiconductor investment as one example linking capital, technology and talent.

He also stressed that AI is not just software. "It's a hardware story... whether it's power, whether it's data centers, whether it's critical minerals," he said.

On future cooperation, Kwatra highlighted areas such as quantum computing, quantum communication and nuclear fusion.

He said research collaboration between universities remains a key driver of innovation.

Kwatra also addressed governance and security. "Security... from any kind of malicious attack is always a priority," he said.

He said India is focused on "safe, secure and trusted AI" to protect infrastructure and maintain social harmony.

India and the United States have expanded cooperation in critical technologies in recent years. This includes semiconductors, AI and supply chains.

Both countries are working to align standards on trusted and secure systems while scaling innovation and deployment across industries.

- IANS