{"id":63935,"date":"2026-01-10T18:25:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T12:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=63935"},"modified":"2026-01-10T21:33:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T16:03:31","slug":"ethical-ai-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/10-01-2026\/ethical-ai-india","title":{"rendered":"India Needs Localised, Ethical AI: PM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Artificial Intelligence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated that <strong>India\u2019s AI model<\/strong> should promote <strong>local and indigenous content<\/strong> as well as<strong> regional languages.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He also stressed that AI developed in India must be <strong>ethical, unbiased, transparent, and grounded <\/strong>in strong data privacy principles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The PM chaired a<strong> roundtable meeting with Indian AI start-ups,<\/strong> the roundtable was held <strong>ahead of the AI Impact Summit 2026,<\/strong> scheduled to take place in India in February.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During the meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted the<strong> importance of artificial intelligence in driving societal transformation.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Technology Sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s technology sector is expanding rapidly, with<strong> annual revenues projected to cross USD 280 billion this year.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Over 6 million people<\/strong> are employed in the tech and AI ecosystem.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India has secured the<strong> 3rd position globally<\/strong> in Artificial Intelligence competitiveness, according to Stanford University\u2019s 2025 Global AI Vibrancy Tool.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The country hosts <strong>1,800+ Global Capability Centres,<\/strong> including more than 500 focused on AI.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>GCCs<\/strong> are mainly offshore centres established by<strong> global level firms\/MNCs<\/strong> to <strong>provide various services to their parent organisations.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India has around 1.8 lakh startups, and nearly <strong>89% of new startups launched last year used AI <\/strong>in their products or services.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On the <strong>NASSCOM AI Adoption Index,<\/strong> India scores 2.45 out of 4, showing that <strong>87% of enterprises are actively using AI solutions.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Leading sectors in AI adoption<\/strong> include industrial and automotive, consumer goods and retail, banking, financial services and insurance, and healthcare. Together they contribute around 60 percent of AI\u2019s total value.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI)<\/strong><br><br>&#8211; AI is the <strong>ability of machines to perform tasks<\/strong> that normally require human intelligence.\u00a0<br>&#8211; It enables systems to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, and solve complex problems independently.<br>&#8211; AI uses datasets, algorithms, and large language models to analyse information, recognise patterns, and generate responses.\u00a0<br>&#8211; Over time, these systems improve their performance, allowing them to reason, make decisions, and communicate in ways similar to humans.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bias &amp; Discrimination: <\/strong>AI trained on data may develop biases and can discriminate against certain groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Data Privacy:<\/strong> India lacks a comprehensive framework for sensitive citizen data despite the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Accountability Gap: <\/strong>If AI makes a wrong decision, it\u2019s unclear who is responsible \u2014 programmer, operator, or government.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Overdependence on Technology:<\/strong> Risk of ignoring human judgment, empathy, and contextual understanding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cybersecurity Threats:<\/strong> AI systems vulnerable to hacking, manipulation, or adversarial attacks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dependence on Foreign Tech Firms: <\/strong>Risk of \u201cdigital colonization\u201d if India relies too much on external AI companies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>IndiaAI Mission (2024): <\/strong>It has a budget&nbsp; of \u20b910,300 crore over five years.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A key goal is the creation of a high-end common computing facility with 18,693 GPUs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e8ebf0\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"542\" height=\"412\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-42.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-63936\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e8ebf0; aspect-ratio:1.3155985489721886;width:422px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-42.png 542w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-42-300x228.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 542px) 100vw, 542px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India\u2019s AI Models &amp; Language Technologies: <\/strong>The government is facilitating the development of India\u2019s own foundational models, including Large Language Models (LLMs) and problem-specific AI solutions tailored to Indian needs.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>BharatGen:<\/strong> The world\u2019s first government-funded multimodal LLM initiative, BharatGen was launched in 2024.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sarvam-1 AI Model:<\/strong> A large language model optimised for Indian languages, Sarvam-1 has 2 billion parameters and supports ten major Indian languages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hanooman\u2019s Everest 1.0:<\/strong> A multilingual AI system developed by SML, Everest 1.0 supports 35 Indian languages, with plans to expand to 90.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bhashini<\/strong> is an AI-powered platform that breaks language barriers by offering translation and speech tools in multiple Indian languages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AI Centers of Excellence: <\/strong>Establishing dedicated AI hubs and innovation centers across the country to support AI startups and research.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India&#8217;s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI):<\/strong> Combines public funding with private sector innovation to drive digital transformation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker serve as the foundation of India\u2019s DPI.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Intelligent solutions are being integrated into financial and governance platforms to enhance DPI.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>e-Courts Project:<\/strong> Initiated by the Supreme Court of India to modernize judicial functions through digital innovation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Phase III: <\/strong>Integrates advanced AI solutions to improve case management and administrative efficiency in courts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From expanding computing infrastructure to fostering homegrown models and supporting startups, the country is creating a robust AI ecosystem that benefits citizens and drives innovation.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Initiatives in agriculture, healthcare, education, and governance demonstrate practical applications with real impact.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These efforts lay a strong foundation for India to emerge as a global AI leader while advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/nation\/2026\/Jan\/09\/india-needs-localised-ethical-ai-pm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated that India\u2019s AI model should promote local and indigenous content as well as regional languages. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The PM chaired a roundtable meeting with Indian AI start-ups, the roundtable was held ahead of the AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to take place in India in February. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> During the meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence in driving societal transformation.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/10-01-2026\/ethical-ai-india\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63935"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63971,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63935\/revisions\/63971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}