National eGovernance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) recently organized an AI Pe Charcha (AI Dialogue) wherein the panelists discussed the importance of and approaches for enabling access to quality datasets for AI. 

The session was chaired by Shri Abhishek Singh, President & CEO, NeGD and had speakers from diverse backgrounds leading to an engaging session for Government officials, AI enthusiasts, AI practitioners, youth, and those who want to understand the role of data in catalyzing the AI innovation ecosystem. Panellists for this AI Pe Charcha included Shri Srikanth Velamakanni, Group CEO of Fractal Analytics, Shri Gaurav Godhwani, Director & Co-founder, Civic DataLabs, Mr. Umakant Soni, Co-founder & CEO, ARTPARK. 

In his opening remarks, Shri Abhishek Singh noted the importance of data for artificial intelligence, shedding light on some of the key initiatives of the government of India to enhance access to quality datasets, including the National Data Governance Framework policy.  

The eminent panelists spoke about the current open data ecosystem, challenges in providing access to quality datasets for AI, the role of different stakeholders in ensuring responsible use of data for innovation and the way forward for India.  

Following the essence of the theme, the recently released report "Unlocking Potential of India's Open Data" was also discussed during this session. NASSCOM, MeitY, along with industry partners such as Fractal, Microsoft, Infosys, IDFC Institute, TCS & Amazon, had constituted the Data Taskforce in 2021 to suggest ways to unlock the potential of India's Open Government Data. 

Shri Srikanth Velamakanni, who also chaired the Data Taskforce, shared an overview of the taskforce's work over the last six months and key insights uncovered. Next, Shri Gaurav Godhwani spoke about his experience building open data platforms and the challenges involved in sourcing, curating, and ensuring access to high-quality datasets under open access. Finally, Shri Umakant Soni spoke about some of the biggest challenges emerging AI companies and innovators face today regarding data. 

The AI Pe Charcha series has been initiated as a part of Responsible AI for Social Empowerment (RAISE), India's first global AI summit, which was organized by MeitY in 2020. Such initiatives by the Government of India have commenced a much-needed discourse on AI. They would lead to positive, tangible, meaningful changes in the overall economic and social sphere.