India's ambitious leap: Building a native AI ecosystem to revolutionise the nation

In a groundbreaking move towards technological self-sufficiency, India is gearing up to create its own native Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem. This strategic initiative comes on the heels of a recent announcement by Jio, one of India's leading technology conglomerates, about its collaboration with Nvidia to develop an indigenous large language model tailored specifically for the Indian market. This ambitious endeavour marks a significant step towards harnessing AI to address the nation's unique challenges and fuel its progress into a digital future.

Navigating the need for native AI in a global tech landscape

India's pursuit of native AI arises from the necessity to address country-specific challenges, linguistic diversity, and sector-specific requirements, ensuring tailor-made solutions not adequately provided by global tech giants like Google and OpenAI.

In the words of Utpal Chakraborty, Chief Technology Officer, IntellAI NeoTech, Garter Ambassador- AI, “Several factors make the case for native AI development compelling. First, strategic independence ensures India is not reliant on foreign technologies in a critical area. Second, native AI can be optimised for local needs, be it language understanding or specific infrastructural challenges. Third, developing AI in-house has economic benefits, from job creation to profit retention. Lastly, it allows India to set its own regulations and policies for AI.”

Challenges on the road to indigenous AI

While India's ambition to build its native AI is commendable, it is not without its challenges. Developing cutting-edge AI technology demands substantial investments in research, infrastructure, and talent. India must bridge the existing skill gap in AI-related fields, ensuring that its workforce is equipped to handle the complexities of AI development.

India faces three main challenges. The first is the talent gap; specialised skills in AI are still in the growth phase in India. The second is data privacy, a concern when you need large datasets to train robust AI models. Lastly, the country faces infrastructural challenges, primarily the need for significant computational power and robust cloud infrastructure.

Utpal Chakraborty, Chief Technology Officer, IntellAI NeoTech, Garter Ambassador- AI

Moreover, establishing a robust regulatory framework and ensuring data privacy and security are vital aspects that cannot be overlooked. Balancing innovation with ethical considerations is imperative to build trust and credibility in the AI ecosystem.

While developing its native AI, India can rely on vast data sets and sources for training and improving its AI systems. In fact, the country has a rich tapestry of potential data sources. Public databases, especially in sectors like healthcare and transportation, could be invaluable.

Industry collaborations through public-private partnerships can share data beneficial to all under strict data usage guidelines. Crowdsourced data, collected through applications designed for public use, is another route, says Utpal Chakraborty.

Some of the examples of data sets which the country can make use of CENSUS, India Meteorological Department, National Crime Records Bureau, data from government agencies, research institutions, and other organisations, etc.

However, in its endeavour to create its native AI, India needs to address several issues related to data privacy and security. The country needs to formulate a central data governance framework and must invest in research and development on AI security and privacy technologies.

Furthermore, India needs to bolster data privacy and security in AI development through robust legislation, like the Personal Data Protection Bill, ensuring stringent measures, transparency, and accountable practices to safeguard user information and foster ethical AI innovation. Also, it needs to must work in tandem with other countries to develop international cooperation on AI security and privacy.

Data privacy and security are top priorities. Advanced cryptographic techniques will be employed to secure data in transit and at rest. Compliance with privacy laws such as the Personal Data Protection Bill is a given. Ethical committees will evaluate data collection and AI training processes to ensure they are transparent, unbiased, and ethical.

Utpal Chakraborty, Chief Technology Officer, IntellAI NeoTech, Garter Ambassador- AI

Potential advantages & tailored solutions for India

Despite these challenges, a native AI holds immense potential for India. One of the significant advantages lies in addressing the country's diverse linguistic landscape. India is a melting pot of languages and dialects, each with its unique characteristics.

A native AI can be tailored to understand and process this linguistic diversity, enabling seamless communication and accessibility for every citizen, regardless of language barriers. Moreover, an indigenous AI can be fine-tuned to cater to the specific needs of various sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and governance, thereby driving targeted innovations and solutions.

Here, it must be mentioned that Tech Mahindra is pioneering Project Indus, an indigenous Large Language Model designed to converse fluently in 40 diverse Indic languages, including Hindi. This innovative prototype, following an open-source methodology, not only promises communication in regional languages but also plans to incorporate additional local languages. Emphasising diverse data sources, Project Indus aims to provide accurate, relevant, and responsible AI solutions across various domains.

The path to success: Ensuring relevance & accessibility

For India's native AI to be successful, it must align with the nation's developmental goals and societal needs. Focusing on creating AI-driven solutions that enhance agricultural productivity, improve healthcare services, and revolutionise education will have a far-reaching impact on the lives of millions. Additionally, ensuring the accessibility of AI technologies to rural and economically disadvantaged communities is crucial. Bridging the digital divide and democratising AI tools will empower even the remotest parts of the country, fostering inclusive growth and development.

While it's true that developing native AI is a colossal task, several factors inspire confidence. India has a robust human capital pool, with a young and tech-savvy population increasingly entering STEM fields. The nation already leads in the global IT sector and has a burgeoning tech startup ecosystem. Moreover, the government is demonstrating its commitment through initiatives like "AI for All."

Utpal Chakraborty, Chief Technology Officer, IntellAI NeoTech, Garter Ambassador- AI

In other words, India's pursuit of building a native AI ecosystem reflects its determination to chart its course in the global tech landscape. While challenges are inevitable, the nation's rich pool of talent and its capacity for innovation position it favourably for this endeavour. With a strategic focus on addressing the unique needs of its population and ensuring inclusivity, India's native AI holds the promise of transforming the nation, ushering in an era of unparalleled progress and prosperity.

Note: In the pursuit of gathering comprehensive insights for this news story, we approached Jio, Tech Mahindra, and UiPath for their valuable inputs. Regrettably, all of them declined to share their perspectives, citing various reasons. Despite their refusal, we continued our efforts to come up with a well-rounded coverage of the topic.