Editorial 1: India’s opportunity at the AI Action Summit

Context

As co-chair of the Paris meeting, India must leverage its position to advance the key AI priorities of the Global South.

Introduction

In early January, India accepted France’s invitation to co-chair the AI Action Summit on February 10 and 11 in Paris. This summit will be the third of its kind, following meetings focussed on AI safety in the U.K. (2023) and South Korea (2024).

• In addition to AI safety, the agenda at Paris is to focus on innovation, public interest AI, future of work, and AI governance issues — presenting India an opportunity to continue its global engagement on AI safety and also amplify the voice of the Global South on broader AI issues
• This article outlines how India can leverage the opportunity to advance three key priorities for the Global South
• Doing this well could also strongly position India to host the next such summit, which brings together decision makers on AI policy, industry at the forefront of AI development, and civil society representatives for an inclusive dialogue on AI.

Voice of the Global South

• The  first meeting in Bletchley Park:  focussed on the safety of ‘frontier AI models’, the emerging risks of AI, and launched the U.K. AI Safety Institute (AISI).
• The second meeting in Seoul: expanded the scope of the conversation to multilateral collaboration on AI risk management through a network of AISIs with countries/blocs such as the U.S., France, Singapore, Japan, and the European Union.
• Wide representation: With ministerial and high-level bureaucratic representation through the meetings, India has actively engaged in the global discourse on AI safety.
• As a next step:  India’s IT Minister recently announced plans of setting up an AI Safety Institute.
• In other multilateral fora with leadership roles: India has championed the cause for the Global South, which has not leveraged the transformative potential of AI as much as more developed parts of the world have.
•  Under India’s presidency in 2023: the G20 endorsed a “pro-innovation regulatory/governance approach” to balance AI innovation and the need to develop guardrails for AI.
• The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) meeting: hosted by India in December 2023 emphasised the need for “equitable access to critical resources for AI research and innovation” to underscore the need for enabling AI infrastructure for developing AI applications.

Priorities in Paris

• India’s vision for the Global South:  could now benefit from the broad agenda of the Paris meeting.
• To maximise this opportunity: India should focus on three key strategic priorities.
  • First, India must advocate for democratising access to AI:  resources across the entire AI value chain.
  • While India’s domestic initiative of establishing a common computing facility with over 18,600 GPUs and 40% government subsidy sets a compelling example, the scope must expand beyond computing hardware.
    • This includes ensuring equitable access to data sets, data storage infrastructure, cloud computing platforms, foundation models, and application development platforms.
• India should promote distributed computing solutions: an alternative to traditional computing infrastructure, and access to innovative safety tools like watermarking technology.
• The promotion of open-source AI models: deserves particular attention. DeepSeek’s success demonstrates both the potential of open-source models and the need to address export control measures that currently constrain AI model development.
• India must advocate for more flexible cross-border transfer of AI technologies: while maintaining appropriate safety standards.

Developing frameworks

• India should call for developing a framework for identifying and prioritising AI use-cases relevant to the Global South’s unique contexts.
• This approach ensures that AI applications serve local needs rather than becoming solutions in search of problems.
  • Instances include: early disease detection systems adapted to local healthcare infrastructure, personalised learning platforms that account for diverse educational contexts, and agricultural productivity tools calibrated to regional farming practices.
• The establishment of an AI use-case repository: following the summit could provide guidance for the Global South in determining its priorities.

Balancing risks and safety

• India must emphasise the importance of contextualising AI risks and safety measures for the Global South.
• The challenges faced by developing nations: often differ significantly from those of the Global North.
• Cultural erosion: through exposure to large language models trained on “western data” represents one such unique risk.
• The Yoshua Benjio-led expert report on International Scientific Report: on the Safety of Advanced AI highlights that risk is derived from the “probability of an occurrence of harm and severity of that harm.” Risks are thus future looking but grounded in already occurred harm.
•  In Paris, India must thus call for collecting evidence of AI-related harms, grounded in Global South contexts, to inform their risk mitigation strategies.
• A repository of AI-related harms: could also help inform any future regulatory approaches of the South.

Conclusion

Looking aheadAs co-chair of the Paris meeting, India must leverage its position to advance the key AI priorities of the Global South. Doing so would also position India as an ideal candidate to host the next AI Action Summit, which would ensure continued focus on the Global South perspective on AI. This would, in turn, cement India’s role as bridge between the AI superpowers in the Global North and developing nations catching up in the global AI sphere.

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Editorial 2: An aerospace expo to further India’s global presence

Context

Aero India 2025 will highlight India’s intent to emerge as a global leader in defence and aerospace production.

Introduction

Aero India 2025, which is being held at the Indian Air Force station at Yelahanka in Bengaluru (February 10-14), is more than just an exhibition. It is a platform for innovation, strategic alliances, and technological advancement. The edition this year promises to redefine the standards of aerospace expositions and elevate India’s global presence in the aviation sector.

• As the 15th edition, the show is set to become a landmark event in India’s journey towards self-reliance in defence production.
• Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, this premier air show has grown to become a global hub for aerospace innovation, collaboration, and strategic partnerships.
• The theme this year, ‘The Runway to a Billion Opportunities’, encapsulates India’s commitment to fostering cutting-edge advancements in defence technology while opening new doors for international collaboration.

A rapid transformation from the 1990s

• As the Secretary (Defence Production), it is a matter of great pride for this writer to witness the remarkable transformation of India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing capabilities.
• What began in 1996 as a modest aviation exposition, has, today, evolved into one of the most significant global defence events.
• With an ever-increasing footprint, Aero India now attracts top-tier defence manufacturers, policymakers, industry leaders and visionaries from across the world.
• Past editions have witnessed extensive participation from industry players and innovators, and Aero India 2025 is poised to surpass milestones, serving as a dynamic platform to propel India’s defence production and technological prowess onto the global stage.
• Aero India 2025 is set to witness participation from leading global and domestic defence manufacturers, reaffirming its status as a premier defence and aerospace exhibition.
• A total of 106 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including 55 foreign OEMs from 19 countries such as Brazil, France, Israel, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States have already confirmed their presence. Sixteen defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) have also confirmed their participation.
• Additionally, 35 Indian OEMs, including industry giants such as Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge Ltd, Adani Defence & Aerospace, Mahindra Defence Systems Limited, BrahMos Aerospace, Ashok Leyland Defence, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), will showcase their cutting-edge advancements, reflecting the growing synergy between the public and private sectors in bolstering India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem.

Highlights of the exposition

• For the first time, the exposition will feature two of the world’s most advanced fighter jets, the Russian Su-57 and the American F-35.
• These cutting-edge aircraft will offer aviation experts and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to analyse their capabilities and performance.
•  The Su-57 is engineered for superior stealth and agility, and the F-35 is renowned for its technological superiority.
• This unprecedented participation signals India’s role as a central player in global defence diplomacy and aerospace progress.
• India will showcase a model of its fifth-generation aircraft ‘Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft’ (AMCA), which is in the development stage.
• The indigenous design and development of this twin-engine fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, with 75% domestic content, will propel India into a select league of nations having the capacity to make their own fifth generation aircraft.Another most anticipated segment that will be on show in Bengaluru is ‘Manthan’, a dedicated platform to promote start-ups and innovation in the aerospace and defence sectors.
•  The event will showcase pioneering advancements from Indian start-ups at the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) pavilion, reinforcing the government’s commitment to fostering home-grown solutions that cater to domestic and international defence requirements.
• The Indian pavilion will serve as a testament to the country’s firm commitment to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, displaying an impressive array of indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities and state-of-the-art technologies.

The visitor experience

• In order to ensure a seamless experience for the over seven lakh visitors expected in this edition, significant improvements have been made in collaboration with the national and State authorities.

• Key enhancements include:
  • optimised traffic flow made possible by expanded roads,
  • designated routes, and
  • real-time monitoring to ease congestion;
  • enhanced transport services such as
    • comfortable shuttle options to facilitate trouble-free access for attendees;
    • robust security arrangements in the form of a multi-tiered security strategy with advanced surveillance,
  • ensuring the highest safety standards;
  • comfort-driven amenities as spacious halls,
  • increased seating zones,
  • improved dining facilities, and
  • dedicated assistance booths for visitor convenience, and
  •  a specialised Aero India 2025 application for updates, schedules, and navigation assistance in real time.
• Beyond the static exhibition of cutting-edge military aircraft, visitors will witness an enthralling aerial display, offering a glimpse into India’s growing air combat and technological prowess.
• Additionally, aerospace and defence seminars, live technology demonstrations, and interactive sessions will provide industry stakeholders and enthusiasts, valuable insights into the latest advancements in these rapidly evolving sectors.

Conclusion

Aero India 2025 is a definitive statement of India’s intent to emerge as a global leader in defence and aerospace production. As the nation strides towards achieving greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing, this event serves as a crucial catalyst in bridging technological gaps, fostering innovation, and strengthening international partnerships.