According to the NASSCOM report titled 'Ùnlock Value from Data and AI: the India Opportunity', an integrated data utilisation strategy can add up to $500 billion to India's GDP by 2025. This is nearly 10 per cent of the $5 trillion economy ambitions. India as a country has multiple strengths when it comes to accelerating the AI space. Some of these include, 

• India stands at 6th position on Stanford's Global AI Vibrancy ranking and aces the 'Inclusion' parameter
• The country has a burgeoning AI Talent with 500,000+ workers in AI, ML, and analytics filed as employed by the industry
• India also secured rank 8 in terms of AI patent filing while it stands at 4 in AI scholarly papers
• 45% of organisations in India have increased AI adoption due to COVID-19
• AI penetration is rising in the startup ecosystem, with more than 50 per cent of Indian startups using AI

India not only launched the National AI programme but is also collaborating actively with international players to tap the potential of artificial intelligence solutions to address global problems. Let's have a look at the international collaboration of India in AI:

India & Germany

India partnered with Germany to set up artificial intelligence initiatives focusing on healthcare and sustainability. The initiative is led by the Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC) and is a joint initiative by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), GoI, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Government of Germany, to facilitate Indo-German research and development.

As part of the collaboration, both the partners have agreed to work together to advance AI-based startups and research. Both the countries will also jointly work to foster a higher degree of application of AI in sustainability and healthcare.

Union Minister for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh, in a meeting held in Berlin on 4 May 2022, alongside the president of DFG (German Research Foundation) Katja Becker, lauded the partnership and remarkable strides both the countries have achieved in the recent past. 

US India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) initiative

With an emphasis on the need to scale up the S&T relationship between India and the United States to solve problems of both countries and overcome barriers to growth – both countries launched the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum's U.S. India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) Initiative.

IUSSTF's USIAI Initiative focuses on AI cooperation in critical areas that are priorities for both countries. USIAI will serve as a platform to discuss opportunities, challenges, and barriers for bilateral AI R&D collaboration, enable AI innovation, help share ideas for developing an AI workforce, and recommend modes and mechanisms for catalysing partnerships. The initiative aims to provide an opportunity for key stakeholder groups to share experiences, identify new areas of R&D and enable opportunities that would benefit from synergistic activities. Further, the partnership will help in discussion on the emerging AI landscape and address the challenges of developing an AI workforce.

Recently, both countries' Defense and External Affairs ministers agreed to launch an inaugural Defense Artificial Intelligence Dialogue while expanding joint cyber training and exercises. 

India joining Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) 

India had joined the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence was launched today by India, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore (GPAI or Gee-Pay). 

GPAI is a multi-stakeholder international project that aims to govern the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) based on human rights, inclusiveness, diversity, creativity, and economic prosperity. This is also the first project of its kind to use the expertise and diversity of participating countries to get a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities around AI. To do this, the initiative will promote cutting-edge research and applied initiatives on AI-related issues in order to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Collaboration a must

Governments, AI researchers, and developers working together across national borders can maximise economies of scale and utilise comparative advantages for mutual gain. Without international cooperation, competing and duplicative investments in AI capacity would be made, resulting in high costs and leaving each country worse off in terms of AI outcomes. International cooperation based on democratic ideals for can aid in focusing on responsible AI development and building confidence.

Moreover, it is vital to note that improved cooperation is necessary to avoid unwarranted limitations on the flow of data, which would significantly reduce the potential benefits of AI adoption.