India is accelerating its push to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, backed by strong government support, rising investments and a long-term strategic vision. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said India’s key strength lies in its ability to work across the full AI stack — from hardware and computing infrastructure to software, services and applications.

Vaishnaw highlighted that only a handful of countries are building capabilities across all layers of AI, giving India a distinct competitive edge. He said India’s IT sector is well placed to emerge as the world’s largest AI services provider, driven by its deep talent pool, scale and growing global demand.

The minister stressed the importance of developing home-grown AI models and domestic hardware, including GPUs, with Indian startups already making progress. He described AI as a “multi-decade transformation” and likened the current phase to the opening innings of a long test series, calling it the fifth industrial revolution.

India is also expanding its shared computing ecosystem, which currently includes a common compute facility with 38,000 GPUs. Vaishnaw noted strong global interest in India’s growth story, citing investments by global tech giants and appreciation for reforms such as GST, labour laws and the opening of the nuclear sector.

According to him, India’s stable macroeconomic environment, low debt levels and fast growth have reinforced investor confidence. He added that discussions are underway to host a World Economic Forum-style event in India, underscoring the country’s rising global stature.