Foreign firms like Google have to invest in Indian AI start-ups for access to country's data sets: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Union MoS for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar

The Indian data sets programme will be restricted for direct access only to the country's start-ups and big tech firms like Google will have to invest in Indian artificial intelligence startups to get indirect access, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on May 11.

“The India data-sets programme will have access only for Indian start-ups. Google or other international companies have to invest in Indian artificial intelligence start-ups to get access in turn, or not get access at all,” the minister said at a tech policy conference organised by the Public Affairs Forum of India.

The government is working on an India AI programme, an artificial -intelligence platform stacked with one of the largest publicly-assembled datasets in the world. 

Chandrasekhar said that the government's focus is to support deeptech start-ups in areas like artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

“We see that a big part of the digital economy pie is going towards deeptech. Much of the success of Indian start-ups has been because of the large Indian market as it provides access to a big consumer base,” he said.

“But the narrative now has to drive towards the creation of intellectual property in India,” he added.

Asked about the regulation of AI in the country, Chandrasekhar said that it was still early days to regulate the technology. While the forthcoming Digital India Act, which will replace the Information Technology Act, is going to have the guardrails to prevent any user harm from AI products, there is no need to create a specific regulatory mechanism for AI.

The minister also said that the government is pulling its final touches on the India AI programme, which will promote innovation and start-ups in the area, and the roadshows for the same will begin in the coming months.