At a recent press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the update, adding that India is also committed to advancing its own AI capabilities. “The French President has invited Prime Minister Modi, and India has accepted the invitation. We will share further details about the summit soon,” Jaiswal said. He emphasized that India is developing a robust AI program in parallel, aiming to establish itself as a key player in the field of AI technology.

The AI Action Summit in France will bring together a diverse array of experts, from government officials and tech CEOs to academics and artists, providing a platform for cross-sector collaboration on the future of AI. The event will focus on action-oriented discussions around shaping the global landscape of artificial intelligence and its societal implications.

In addition to engaging on the international stage, India has been making significant strides in strengthening its own AI infrastructure. Jaiswal noted that India is in discussions with various partners to further develop its AI program, including collaborations in the technology sector. His remarks also highlighted that the Indian government is preparing to host open-source AI models like DeepSeek on Indian servers.

This move comes after Chinese startup DeepSeek, known for its open-source reasoning model R1, made waves by challenging the notion that large amounts of GPU hardware are needed to build advanced AI models. In response to this, India is setting up a portal where startups and researchers can access GPUs at more affordable rates, significantly enhancing the country’s capacity to develop AI models and solutions.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also confirmed that India would soon begin hosting these open-source models on Indian servers. He said the government has already worked out the necessary infrastructure, including server capacity, to support the initiative. This aligns with India’s broader goal to position itself as a leader in AI research and development.

As the global AI landscape continues to evolve, India’s participation in the AI Action Summit and its ongoing investment in AI technology signal the country’s growing role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence. The collaboration with international partners, along with the strengthening of domestic AI capabilities, reflects India’s commitment to technological innovation and its ambition to contribute meaningfully to the global AI conversation.

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The feature is initially being rolled out to a select group of businesses, including auto shops and nail salons, with plans to expand its reach in the future. Users can access the tool by opting into Google’s Search Labs and performing simple search queries such as “auto shops near me” or “salons near me.” Once activated, the AI takes over and makes the call to collect the requested information on the user’s behalf.

To ensure transparency, businesses receiving these AI-driven calls have the option to opt out, and a clear message is played at the start of the call, informing the business that an AI system is handling the conversation.

While the feature shows great promise for simplifying the process of gathering quick information, users should be aware that, due to capacity limitations, they might experience a waitlist before the AI call can be placed.

The technology behind ‘Ask for Me’ is powered by the same systems that Google uses for restaurant reservations through its Search and Maps platforms. This seamless integration aims to enhance the overall user experience, making it easier to interact with businesses and obtain accurate, timely information without needing to engage in a phone conversation themselves.

As Google continues to test this feature, the company is looking to expand its availability to other industries, potentially revolutionizing how consumers access business details.

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The government’s portal will host open-source models, including AI frameworks like DeepSeek, on Indian servers. Vaishnaw revealed that the logistics for setting up the servers, including the necessary capacity and infrastructure, have already been finalized. He emphasized that the portal would offer GPUs to users at significantly lower prices, making AI resources more accessible.

“We are going to do this very soon. Already, the team has worked out the details regarding the servers required, how much capacity is needed, and all other necessary information. We will be hosting open-source models on Indian servers very soon,” said Vaishnaw.

This development comes at a time when China’s DeepSeek, a startup that has made waves with its open-source reasoning model R1, challenges the traditional view that building frontier AI models requires vast amounts of GPU resources. DeepSeek trained its model using over 2,000 GPUs, while models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT were trained with around 25,000 GPUs, underlining the disparity in GPU needs between different AI models.

To make this powerful technology accessible, the Indian government has committed to subsidizing the use of GPUs. The government will offer a 40 percent subsidy on common compute facilities, reducing the cost for students to under Rs 100 per hour. Currently, India has approximately 10,000 GPUs ready, out of the planned 18,000, with a focus on high-end GPUs to support AI development.

Vaishnaw also highlighted that the AI mission in India would focus on solving large-scale, population-centric challenges. “Our focus will be on utilizing the power of AI to solve problems in sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, logistics, weather forecasting, and even areas like glacier measurement and flood prediction,” he added.

The government’s AI initiative, which is part of the broader vision of “Making AI in India” and “Making AI Work for India,” includes a comprehensive, national-level AI mission with a budget allocation of Rs 10,371.92 crore, approved in March 2024. As part of this mission, the Indian government will provide subsidies on AI compute power for the next four years, ensuring sustainability and further cost reductions over time.

This push for greater AI accessibility aligns with India’s long-term goals of empowering students, researchers, and startups to drive innovation and foster cutting-edge AI applications that can tackle the country’s most pressing challenges.

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The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting highlighted this accomplishment through a social media post, emphasizing India’s strides in utilizing technology to enhance governance, citizen engagement, and overall societal impact.

The NRI, published by the Washington DC-based Portulans Institute, assesses countries on their technological advancements and their ability to leverage them for governance and development. “India has improved its position by eleven slots and is now placed at 49th rank as per the Network Readiness Index 2024 (NRI 2024),” the ministry stated.

In 2023, India held the 60th position with a score of 49.93. This year, the nation not only climbed the rankings but also improved its score to 53.63, reflecting consistent efforts in advancing its digital infrastructure, technology, and research capabilities.

Key Drivers of India’s Progress

India’s advancements in areas like artificial intelligence, mobile networks, and broadband have played a pivotal role in this growth. The government has been leveraging these technologies to improve the quality of life for its citizens while also contributing to global research.

The ministry remarked, “India is not only moving ahead with technology but also expanding the scope of new research in the field of artificial intelligence, mobile networks, and broadband at the global level and also using them for promoting the ease of living.”

A Growing Global Role

The improved ranking underlines India’s emergence as a global leader in technology adoption and innovation. The government’s focused efforts on strengthening digital infrastructure, fostering research and development, and driving innovation have been instrumental in achieving this progress.

This accomplishment lays a strong foundation for India’s future advancements in digital transformation and innovation, further solidifying its position as a key player in the global technology landscape.

India’s remarkable rise in the Network Readiness Index is a testament to its growing technological prowess and commitment to leveraging innovation for societal and economic development.

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