According To Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Sam Altman Is Not The Last Word On India’s AI Potential

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, disputed OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s claim that Indian companies are not capable of developing artificial intelligence on the same scale or with the same maturity as his platform on Monday. In an interview with MoneyControl, Chandrasekhar stated that India will develop its own AI skills, even if in collaboration with OpenAI, particularly in the startup arena.

“Sam Altman is a clever individual who has surely contributed much to OpenAI. And he must be respected for his efforts. However, he should be regarded as a significant figure in the field of artificial intelligence. “He’s certainly not going to be the last word on what India’s aspirations for AI are,” Chandrasekhar said, adding that there are many areas where he and Sam Altman will never agree.

Altman, on the other hand, explained on Twitter that his statements were taken out of context. Altman stated that he was especially referring to businesses developing an AI tool with $10 million and that he welcomes Indian firms to attempt it.

The correct question is what a startup can achieve that has never been done before and that will add something new to the world. I have no doubt that Indian companies can and will achieve this! and only the builders can provide an answer.

— Sam Altman (@sama) 10 June 2023
Meanwhile, the government has set an ambitious aim of increasing the country’s technology sector’s contribution to the GDP from a little over 10% to almost 20% by 2025. To do this, it has implemented two distinct sorts of policies. The first step is to enact legislation to ensure that citizens have access to a secure, trustworthy, and transparent internet. The second focuses on implementing incentive programmes to boost indigenous production of high-end electronics.

These activities are being led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). MeitY has recently announced a Rs 17,000-crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for advanced computer producers, launched a national AI development project, and begun consultations on a new internet governance law, among other measures.

Chandrasekhar shed light on these developments and provided insights on the industry’s response in the Moneycontrol interview. He emphasised the favourable response from established businesses such as Dell and HP, which already have a presence in the Indian market and are anticipated to expand further. He did, however, highlight the increased interest from smaller Indian IT hardware companies, indicating the government’s aim to develop local champions in the field.

Chandrasekhar also spoke about a new provision in the IT hardware PLI plan that requires the adoption of firmware from Indian enterprises or trusted overseas sources. He emphasised the significance of having a trustworthy system from start to finish, encompassing both hardware and firmware components. The government intends to ensure the overall stability and security of Indian technology by requiring the adoption of trustworthy firmware.

In terms of fines for output deficiencies, Chandrasekhar stated that any gap can be made up in succeeding years, and the penalty can be paid later. He highlighted that it is a penalty withheld rather than a penalty foregone, providing manufacturers’ flexibility in fulfilling output targets.

Chandrasekhar noted that prioritising semiconductor design and packaging over fabrication is consistent with the capital intensity and complexity of each stage. While the government realises the importance of semiconductor fabs, it also recognises that there will be fewer of them than design and packaging firms, he said, adding that the goal is to establish the complete value chain at the same time rather than merely progressing up the value chain. According to Chandrasekhar, the administration hopes to do in ten years what China has taken 30 years to accomplish.

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, the National Data Governance Policy, and the upcoming Digital India Bill, according to Chandrasekhar, are all key legislative endeavours that will address a variety of challenges. The government is aware of privacy, personal data protection, and the monetization of scraped data problems, and it plans to address these issues through thorough rules.