A virtual ‘AI India Conclave’ was organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), jointly with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), government of India.
Addressing the event, Abhishek Singh, managing director and CEO, Digital India Corporation (DIC), president and CEO, National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and, CEO, MyGov, MeitY, government of India highlighted the various initiatives launched by the government pertaining to artificial intelligence (AI). Singh said, “To foster a robust AI ecosystem in India, government’s role is to enable a data governance mechanism via open data portals, with adequate safeguards for privacy to enable innovation by researchers and entrepreneurs to build upon and create products for better services.” He further talked about the importance of AI skilling and reskilling and its role in employment generation.
As per, Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT), government of Telangana, “In order for AI and machine learning (ML) tools to grow, we are focusing on six pillars, data availability via data exchange, high-performance computing infrastructure, AI skilling, research and innovation in start-ups, collaborative adoption, and a robust governance system.” Ranjan also highlighted on the initiatives taken by the state government in the emerging technology space.
Meanwhile, Prof. Rajat Moona, director, IIT Bhilai, said, “To leverage the best of AI and ML, we as a society should focus on making AI framework more transparent, inclusive, and responsible.”
Further, Dr. Manish Gupta, director, Google Research India, said, “For India, AI can really make the difference, by playing a key role in solving some of the ongoing challenges faced by our nation in healthcare, water, agriculture, and language space.”
In addition, Mohit Kapoor, chairman, AI and Digital Transformation Committee, FICCI and Group chief technology officer, Mahindra Group, stated, “AI is changing the world. The AI and DT committee at FICCI, along with the government and corporate partners, is committed to building a smart and connected nation focusing on innovation leadership in the fields of agriculture, financial inclusion, healthcare, education.”
Moreover, Kanishka Agiwal, co-chair – AI and Digital Transformation Committee, FICCI and Head, Service Lines, Public Sector, India/South Asia, Amazon Web Services, said, “AI is an idea, and its real value lies in the way we use it, and there is immense opportunity for AI to thrive in India – the complexities across geographies, linguistic variances, and socio-economic differences make for a huge number of case studies for AI to address effectively.”
