--- description: Find out why Ashwini Vaishnaw made TIME’s list of the most influential people in artificial intelligence. title: TIME100 AI 2024: Ashwini Vaishnaw image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc1a7b20dd3b5eb5a/698a5a89929fad96e1bfcf20/TIME100-AI-2024-SHAPERS_Ashwini-Vaishnaw-NEW.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Sep 05, 2024 # Ashwini Vaishnaw by [Tharin Pillay](/author/tharin-pillay/) ## Tharin Pillay Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Pillay is an editorial fellow at TIME.  Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source: Hardik Chhabra—The India Today Group/Getty Images) India—the world’s [fifth largest economy](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-68823827 "undefined")—is trying to become a major player in the world of AI. The country’s electronics and information technology minister, Aishwini Vaishnaw, leads its efforts. While the country has yet to create binding AI laws, for the past year, it has chaired the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence—an international initiative to support states in governing AI. As part of its chairmanship, India hosted the Global IndiaAI Summit in July, [attended](https://indiaai.gov.in/article/global-indiaai-summit-2024-concludes-paving-way-for-india-s-leadership-in-ai-innovation "undefined") by over 2,000 AI experts, including senior leaders from OpenAI and Microsoft, and delegates from over 50 countries. At the Summit, Vaishnaw [emphasized](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Aqez7vV0cs "undefined") the need to “democratize technology,” so it’s accessible to all. The Indian government has also [allocated ](https://www.reuters.com/technology/india-announces-12-bln-investment-ai-projects-2024-03-07/ "undefined")over $1.2 billion to support its nascent AI sector. Most of the country’s AI efforts have been funneled through its “IndiaAI” initiative, managed by Vaishnaw’s ministry. The ministry aims to secure over 10,000 Graphic Processing Units, the chips that power most AI technology, to increase the country’s computing capacity; provide finance for local startups; increase access to high-quality datasets; expand access to AI educational opportunities for Indians; and develop its own state-of-the-art AI models. Under Vaishnaw’s leadership, the country [hopes](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/indias-semiconductor-manufacturing-to-rank-among-top-five-globally-by-2030-ashwini-vaishnaw/articleshow/108857798.cms?from=mdr#:~:text=India%20will%20be%20among%20the,information%20technology%20Ashwini%20Vaishnaw%20said.&text=The%20construction%20of%20the%20four,in%20record%20time%2C%20he%20said. "undefined") to become one of the top five countries for semiconductor manufacturing—a key component for modern AI systems—within the next five years. Construction has begun on several factories. Yet, Vaishnaw faces significant [challenges](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/indias-technology-competition-with-china/ "undefined") in realizing these ambitions. India's tech sector struggles with low private R&D investment and a lack of advanced manufacturing ecosystems. Its educational system is also catching up to produce the specialized workforce needed for cutting-edge AI and semiconductor development. High import tariffs on electronic components, global competition for talent and resources, and the complexity of rapidly upgrading infrastructure (particularly the extensive power and water supply systems that are required for semiconductor manufacturing), may be further hurdles on India’s path to becoming a leader in the AI space. As in every country, India is striving to strike a balance between fostering innovation and ensuring AI benefits its people and constraining the technology’s risks. 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