India eyes role as global AI use-case hub

India should focus on becoming the world’s leading hub for real-world artificial intelligence applications to drive wider adoption across industries, electronics, and IT, said Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S. Krishnan on Monday, according to several media reports.

During his address at a Nasscom-hosted gathering, Krishnan outlined India's dual strategy: welcoming international AI firms while strengthening the nation's own technological foundations. This includes developing indigenous language models and expanding data centre capacity to broaden AI accessibility and lessen future reliance on foreign systems.

Central to the government's agenda is making AI resources widely available, a priority that will take centre stage at next month's IndiaAI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The event will convene international executives, government officials, and business leaders to explore collaborative frameworks for AI regulation and scaling adoption across sectors.

India's demographic scale, skilled tech workforce, and vibrant startup culture create fertile ground for diverse AI applications, Krishnan noted. Successfully converting these strengths into practical solutions could extend AI's relevance across a wider range of users and economic sectors.

Building Self-reliant AI Capabilities

Building self-reliant AI capabilities emerged as another key theme in Krishnan's remarks. He argued that technological sovereignty in advanced domains would contribute to a more balanced global tech landscape, with distributed production and innovation hubs offering nations greater choice and mitigating risks tied to concentrated supply chains.

On semiconductors, Krishnan pointed to India's substantial footprint in chip design, with roughly one-fifth of the world's semiconductor design professionals working in the country, largely through multinational research centres. He expressed confidence this talent pool would eventually yield Indian-owned intellectual property, chip architectures, and locally produced components.

India’s Role in Global Tech Alliances

Earlier that day, incoming US ambassador to India Sergio Gor revealed plans to invite India into Pax Silica, a Washington-led framework designed to secure supply chains for silicon, advanced manufacturing, and AI technologies.

Sergio Gor, in a post on X, said, “Pleased to share that India will be invited to join Pax Silica, a U.S.-led strategic initiative to build a secure, resilient, and innovation-driven silicon supply chain. As the world adopts new technology, it is essential that India and the United States work hand-in-hand together.”

Krishnan praised the invitation as validation of India's standing as a dependable collaborator in strategic technology networks.