Early Times Report JAMMU, Jan 23: Jammu, Gaurav Gupta, Spokesperson and Convener, International Affairs, BJP Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory, on Friday strongly welcomed the firm, factual, and authoritative rebuttal by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Ji to attempts at branding India as a "second-tier" Artificial Intelligence power at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Davos. Gupta said that the Union Minister's intervention during the high-level panel discussion titled "AI Power Play" decisively exposed the flawed and outdated narrative, reaffirming India's rightful position among the world's leading AI nations. Citing the Stanford University Global AI Vibrancy Index, Gupta pointed out that India ranks third globally in AI preparedness and penetration, and second in AI talent, surpassing several developed economies. He noted that the Stanford Global AI Index 2025, based on 2024 data, places the United States first, China second, and India third, marking a significant jump for India from seventh position last year. "This meteoric rise reflects India's robust AI talent ecosystem, expanding research output, innovation-led startups, progressive policy frameworks, and a strong emphasis on responsible AI deployment," Gupta said. Highlighting Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Ji's remarks, Gupta said that India's AI vision is anchored in practical implementation, economic sustainability, and inclusive growth, with a clear focus on real-world solutions. He noted that nearly 95 percent of AI use cases can be efficiently addressed through mid-sized, optimized models, rather than an excessive fixation on building only the largest models. Gupta further stated that India has significantly strengthened its AI infrastructure through the empanelment of over 38,000 GPUs under a shared national compute facility, ensuring affordable and equitable access for startups, researchers, and students. He added that a nationwide AI skilling initiative targeting 10 million citizens is underway, alongside the development of techno-legal safeguards to counter bias, deepfakes, and unethical AI use. Referring to global validation, Gupta said that IMF Managing Director Ms. Kristalina Georgieva dismissed the controversial remark as a "small hiccup" and clearly acknowledged that India is among the principal global drivers of AI-led growth, praising India's digital public infrastructure, reform-oriented governance, and highly skilled IT workforce. Gupta asserted that under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, India is no longer a late entrant but a global agenda-setter in Artificial Intelligence, shaping the future through responsible, scalable, and people-centric innovation. "This international recognition once again confirms that New India is confidently leading from the front in emerging technologies and setting global benchmarks for the world to follow," he added. |