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India’s AI push draws diaspora back, but ecosystem needs R&D support: MeitY’s Abhishek Singh
According to Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the India AI Mission is drawing strong interest from the Indian diaspora, with many overseas professionals actively pitching plans to set up AI ventures within the country.
“The challenge now is to not only bring talent back but to create an environment where they want to stay,” Singh said.
India’s AI ambitions are beginning to resonate far beyond its borders. According to Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the India AI Mission is drawing strong interest from the Indian diaspora, with many overseas professionals actively pitching plans to set up AI ventures within the country.
Speaking at the Network18 Powering Bharat Summit, Singh noted, “We’re witnessing a remarkable willingness among Indians abroad to return and contribute to India’s AI growth story.” But while this signals growing confidence in India’s tech roadmap, he also acknowledged a key hurdle - retaining high-skilled talent in the long term.
“The challenge now is to not only bring talent back but to create an environment where they want to stay,” Singh said, pointing to the need for patient capital and sustained investment in R&D to build a robust AI ecosystem.
Singh also revealed that India is working on its own foundational AI model but unlike the text-heavy systems developed by global giants, India’s approach will be deeply rooted in voice and multilingual access. “Our foundational model will not mirror what the world has done so far. It will be voice-first and designed for inclusion, with support for a wide range of Indian languages,” he explained.
The emphasis on speech-based AI reflects India’s unique demographic and linguistic diversity, where large segments of the population rely on voice over text for digital interactions. This strategy, Singh suggested, could make AI far more accessible across rural and non-English speaking communities, potentially giving India a distinctive edge in AI-for-public-good applications.
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The leaders highlighted how AI is emerging as a critical enabler in this shift from marketing’s traditional focus on new customers to a more sustainable model of driving growth from existing accounts.
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