INDIA

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

In 2017, a task force on artificial intelligence (AI) for India’s economic transformation was constituted. It recommended the establishment of a National AI mission to co-ordinate AI-related activities in the country. The mission is expected to focus on efforts that will ensure India can leverage the potential of AI in addressing societal needs across sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and smart cities and infrastructure. It is also working on developing core AI research capabilities at the national level.

In 2018, the government mandated the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) to establish a national AI programme, to guide R&D activities. As part of this programme, NITI undertakes exploratory proof-of-concept AI projects in collaboration with local and international experts. NITI has also released a discussion paper on India’s AI strategy, which suggests that the government should focus on several priority areas, including developing a strong research ecosystem; promoting AI adoption; addressing skilling challenges; and addressing issues related to ethics, bias, and privacy in AI applications.

India has prioritised R&D on emerging technologies. In the 2018 budget for example, USD$480 million was allocated to promote AI, machine learning and the Internet of Things (IoT). In the 2019 budget, India announced plans to establish a national AI centre and an AI portal. Meanwhile, several higher educational institutions across the country have set up new AI centres, offering AI-related programmes focused on topics such as deep learning applications, AI and machine learning, and reinforced learning.

India contributes to international discussions on AI-related issues, for example in the framework of BRICS (a group of five emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). It also participates in the work of the Group of Governmental Experts on emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems (GGE on LAWS). India is of the view that any potential policy measures taken regarding LAWS should not hamper progress in or access to peaceful use of intelligent autonomous technologies. It also considers that the responsibility for the development, production and deployment of LAWS should rest with states, and the associated proliferation risks need to be covered under dual responsibility of the state and by strengthening international regulations.

QUANTUM COMPUTING

India has recently taken steps to advance research and development in quantum computing.

In 2019, the Department of Science & Technology (DST) launched a Quantum-Enabled Science & Technology (QuEST) programme, planning to invest USD$11.2 million in research in this field.

A year later, India announced a National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications, to benefit from a budget of approximately US$1 billion over five years. To be implemented by the DST, the mission will ‘help develop and bring quantum computers, secured communications through fibre and free space, quantum encryption and crypt-analysis and associated technologies within reach in the country’.

It will also help prepare a skilled workforce, boost research, and encourage entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem development in the area of quantum technologies. The mission’s areas of focus will be in fundamental science, translation, technology development, human and infrastructural resource generation, and innovation and start-ups to address issues concerning national priorities.

BLOCKCHAIN

In line with Digital India, the national policy think tank NITI Aayog released a national blockchain strategy in February 2020. The document breaks down blockchain as a trust system in a bid to encourage its use among government agencies, enterprises, and citizens. A second part, containing recommendations on the application of blockchain in India, will be released within the year.

India also has an interest in trade finance and payment systems. The Make in India campaign launched in 2014 consolidated India’s foreign direct investment policy, brought in multinational corporations but also exposed challenges in local trade financing for global business. India has therefore been testing policies for distributed ledger in trade finance.

The country is also testing blockchain based payment systems for e-government services.

In 2018, the Indian cabinet approved India’s participation in a BRICS initiative for blockchain development among member countries’ central banks. In 2019, BRICS was reported to be discussing a plan to create a cryptocurrency for payment settlements between the five countries.