Ashwini Vaishnaw Counters IMF at Davos: India is a Top AI Power, Not Second-Tier

• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asserted India belongs to the "first group" of AI powers, challenging IMF's Kristalina Georgieva's classification at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
• Vaishnaw highlighted India's comprehensive AI approach, working on all five critical layers: application, model, chip, infrastructure, and energy, with a focus on large-scale AI diffusion.
• He cited Stanford's evaluations, placing India third globally in AI penetration/preparedness and second in AI talent, refuting the 'second grouping' suggestion.
• The minister emphasized India's strength in the application layer, aiming to be the largest supplier of AI-driven services globally by deploying practical AI solutions.
• India is democratizing AI access through a public-private partnership for GPU availability, subsidizing 38,000 GPUs, and launching a nationwide AI skilling program for 10 million people.

Why It Matters: India firmly positions itself as a leading AI power, challenging global perceptions with its comprehensive strategy and talent.