Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister, Electronics and Information Technology and Communications Minister was emphatic at the very outset, on why the theme was chosen after much deliberation. In a country as vast and diverse as India, Responsible AI for Social Empowerment (RAISE) is critical, he said. The efforts have paid off big time what with 60k registrations from 139 countries. With this kind of a draw, we can expect a lot of action over the next four days.

Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had laid the grand vision of a Digital India more six years back and passionately drove the agenda to make a difference to the lives of average Indians. Through DBT alone, the Government was able to transfer 172 billion USD to 370 million bank accounts that saved more than 23 billion USD, which would have otherwise been pocketed by middlemen. Such benefits have spanned across the economy and various sectors. The digitization efforts in the last few years have paid rich dividends, and we can see this in our lives every day – Aadhar, UPI, GSTN, and Digital Health Mission are some of the prominent examples. 10.6 million farmers have used e-marketplace to sell their farm produce. Widespread and continued efforts have brought in huge transparency, improved the quality of outcomes, and ensured a high degree of privacy.

While the pace of technology can be overwhelming, AI has immense potential to bring in economic development and in an equitable manner. Millions of lives are positively impacted, leading to inclusive development.

India’s greatest strength is Demographic Dividend, and the Indian IT Services sector has truly leveraged its potential. With the kind of skills we have today and the ecosystem support, we can lead in the AI space too. The ecosystem that we have built today is a testimony to the great progress being made in AI – CoEs, IPRs created, incubation centres, etc. augment the vision.

While corporate houses may look at these technologies to create solutions, serve their customers, and earn revenue, the Government wants to put a smile on the face of common people. A major step in that direction is when AI is used for better governance. A country of 1.3 billion people has a mobile user base of 1.2 billion, Aadhar Cardholders – 1.2 billion, and 600 million internet users. India has an abundance of data. 

And it’s not just about large cities and towns. The development has to permeate our villages too. The Government is committed to connecting all villages through fibre optic networks in 1000 days which will be a massive step forward in building a robust digital infrastructure that will enable inclusivity.

The Private Data Protection Bill has been tabled and will soon be passed in the Parliament. This will be a major fillip to the digital economy – innovation can happen in a secure & safe manner.

The gap between haves and have-nots can be bridged through AI and we can be a beacon of hope and empowerment for the rest of the world.