NewKerala.com

Nandan Nilekani: India Can Lead World in AI Use Cases and Diffusion

Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani emphasized that the primary challenge for artificial intelligence is not its creation but its diffusion to a billion people. He argued that India, with its experience scaling technologies like UPI, is positioned to lead the world in AI use cases. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the same summit, expressed India's optimistic and proactive stance, viewing AI as a cornerstone of future growth. Modi highlighted the unprecedented speed and scale of the current AI revolution, comparing its significance to the discovery of nuclear power.

Key Points: Nilekani on AI Diffusion, Modi's Optimism at India AI Summit

  • Real AI challenge is diffusion, not just building
  • India can lead as use case capital
  • Diffusion is both art and science
  • PM Modi sees AI as India's future cornerstone
2 min read

Nandan Nilekani stresses AI diffusion, says India can lead on use cases

Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani stresses scaling AI to masses. PM Modi declares India finds its future in AI at the India AI Impact Summit.

"What we have learnt is the diffusion of technology is a different ball game, how do you get technology to a billion of people. - Nandan Nilekani"

New Delhi, February 19

Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani has said the real challenge in artificial intelligence lies in scaling it to the masses, not just building it.

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit, he said, "What we have learnt is the diffusion of technology is a different ball game, how do you get technology to a billion of people."

Citing India's experience with UPI, digital transactions and financial inclusion, Nilekani said the country understands how to scale technology across a vast population.

"Diffusion is a technic, its both an art and a science. It involves institutions, policy making, negotiations, dealing with incumbents, dealing with new comers, strategic for execution. So the whole trust building,. It's a whole host of thing and I think if all the investment in AI is going to deliver the value to society, or individuals, we will have to have to look at diffusion pathways. We have to take it to everyone and I think India will lead on that," he said.

"I have always been saying that India should focus on becoming the use case capital of the world."

He asserted that India will be able to lead on that.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a powerful message of technological optimism at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, asserting that while some view the rise of artificial intelligence with apprehension, India embraces it as a cornerstone of its future growth.

Addressing the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, the Prime Minister stated, "While some see fear in AI, others see the future. I can say with utmost pride that India finds its future in Artificial Intelligence," emphasising the nation's proactive and optimistic stance toward the technology.

PM Modi highlighted the unprecedented velocity of the current technological era.

"AI is making machines intelligent, but more than that, it is increasing human capabilities manyfold. There is only one difference: this time the speed is unprecedented and the scale is also unexpected. Earlier, the impact of technology used to take decades to be visible. Today, the journey from machine learning to learning machines is faster, deeper and wider than ever," the Prime Minister said

.Emphasising the moral weight of this transition, PM Modi compared the advent of AI to the discovery of nuclear power, urging the global community to consider the legacy being left for future generations.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
This is a refreshing perspective. While the West focuses on building the most powerful models, India's approach of focusing on diffusion and real-world use cases could be the game-changer for global AI adoption. Exciting times.
P
Priya S
Hope this focus on 'use case capital' translates to solving our local problems first. AI for crop disease prediction, regional language education tools, and affordable diagnostic aids should be the priority. Let's walk the talk.
R
Rohit P
PM Modi's comparison to nuclear power is crucial. With great power comes great responsibility. We need strong ethical frameworks and data privacy laws alongside this innovation push. Can't just chase scale blindly.
K
Karthik V
Nilekani sir always talks sense. Diffusion *is* the real challenge. Building an app is easy, getting my *dadi* in a village to trust and use it is the hard part. India has cracked that code with UPI and Aadhaar. AI next! 💪
M
Michael C
Respectfully, while the vision is grand, I hope the execution includes robust skilling initiatives. We need to prepare our workforce for the AI transition to avoid massive job displacement, especially in sectors like BPO and basic IT services.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50