In an effort to bolster the nation’s AI compute infrastructure, Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on Tuesday that India is anticipated to add an additional 20,000 GPUs, increasing the total capacity beyond the current 38,000 GPUs.
Compared to a standard processor, a GPU, or graphics processing unit, is a powerful computer chip that enables machines to think more quickly, interpret images, execute artificial intelligence algorithms, and do complicated tasks more quickly.
Over 38,000 high-end GPUs have been onboarded under the IndiaAI Mission, and they are priced at roughly ₹65 per hour, or over one-third of the average price worldwide.
In an interview with reporters today, Vaishnaw stated that the next stage of India’s AI policy will prioritize design and research and development, going beyond basic infrastructure to create solutions suited to India’s need.
Additionally, he stated that during the current India AI Impact Summit, AI-related investments may surpass USD 200 billion, with USD 90 billion already pledged.
Although he stated that names cannot be revealed at this time, the government is in talks with a number of big businesses about more investments in AI infrastructure.
He emphasized that schools in both rural and urban areas are already doing AI awareness programs that incorporate regional languages and India’s cultural context into AI development.
Regarding regulations, Vaishnaw pointed out that world leaders are beginning to agree on a techno-legal strategy for AI governance. About 30 nations are currently in communication with India on technology cooperation and the creation of artificial intelligence policies.
“Netflix, Meta, or any other corporation would have to work under the constitutional framework of the country they are operating in,” he reaffirmed, adding that international digital platforms operating in India must adhere to the nation’s constitutional framework. They must work in the nation in terms of the cultural setting,” he stated.
“We need much stronger regulations on deepfakes and we need to create a consensus in Parliament,” the minister stated, addressing concerns about misinformation and online harms. To protect children in particular, he called for the implementation of age-based content regulation. The government has already discussed the necessary extra steps with industry players.
“Copyright is equally crucial; we do believe that content creators must pay their dues for the stuff they create,” Vaishnaw said, emphasizing the need of copyright regulations in the AI era and the need for equitable recompense for content creators. We are in communication with the platforms and support equitable income distribution,” he stated.
Vaishnaw responded to inquiries on the energy and power needs of AI infrastructure by stating that large investments are already coming in and mentioning the larger USD 200 billion AI investment pipeline.
The minister positioned India as a worldwide leader in digital, stating that the nation has a long history of sharing information with the globe and still does so now through its digital public infrastructure.
“India has always contributed knowledge to the world. Many countries are using digital public infrastructure now, and we are not requesting any royalties from those countries,” he stated.
