India has emerged as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, surpassing both the United States and China in AI-related application downloads. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, speaking at the 6th convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Kottayam, highlighted that India recorded 3 billion AI app downloads in 2024, outpacing the U.S.’s 1.5 billion and China’s 1.3 billion downloads.
Sitharaman emphasized that this milestone reflects India’s rapid innovation and large-scale implementation of AI technologies. She referenced Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s remark that India is the “use case capital of AI,” underscoring the nation’s proactive approach to AI integration across various sectors.
Beyond adoption, India is actively influencing global AI governance. At the recent AI Action Summit in Paris, co-chaired by India and France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the importance of ethical, inclusive, and trustworthy AI, framing it as a global responsibility.
India’s commitment to AI is further demonstrated by its $1.25 billion investment in the “IndiaAI Mission,” aimed at enhancing AI infrastructure and public sector applications. This initiative seeks to leverage India’s vast data resources and multilingual environment to foster the development of large language models and AI-driven solutions.
- Advertisement -
The nation’s innovation landscape has also seen significant improvements. India climbed to the 39th position in the Global Innovation Index in 2024, up from 81st in 2015. Additionally, the country’s patent-to-GDP ratio increased from 144 in 2013 to 381 in 2023, reflecting a robust growth in intellectual property activities.
These developments underscore India’s strategic focus on AI as a catalyst for economic growth and technological advancement, positioning the country as a key player in the global AI landscape.
