‘AI is the engine that will power India's growth,’ says Akash Ambani

Challenging the perception that India lags in technology, Ambani pointed to the country’s rapid digital transformation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the biggest technological shift of our lifetime and will be the driving force behind India's economic growth, said Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio, at the Mumbai Tech Week held at Jio World Centre.

“In my view, AI is the engine that will empower India to grow at 10 percent or double-digit growth numbers for the foreseeable future,” Ambani stated, noting its potential to revolutionise various sectors.

To establish India as a global AI leader, Ambani outlined three key areas of focus: infrastructure, research and development, and talent investment.

“We need to continue investing in AI infrastructure and data centers that can scale to serve millions of users. At Jio, we are already doing that,” he noted, referring to the company’s recently announced gigawatt-capacity AI data center in Jamnagar.

He also stressed the importance of deep research and development. “We continue to invest in deep research and development that comes from it,” he said, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for AI advancement.

Additionally, Ambani highlighted the need to nurture top AI talent. “At Jio, we've already built a full-stack AI team of over 1,000 data scientists, researchers, and engineers. The critical element is fostering new ideas and pushing the boundaries of development,” he said, adding that India is not far from launching a groundbreaking AI platform for half a billion users.

Challenging the perception that India lags in technology, Ambani pointed to the country’s rapid digital transformation. “Gone are the days we should think of India as a tech laggard. Today, we are the biggest data-consuming nation in the world, surpassing even China,” he said.

He recalled India’s leap in internet speeds since 2015. “Back then, speeds were less than 1 MB, whether on mobile or at home. Today, everyone enjoys high-speed data,” he noted, expressing confidence that India can replicate this success in AI.

“We’ve already showcased to the world in connectivity that we can be the leaders of technology, not just fast followers,” Ambani concluded.