India wants to train 10 million specialists in artificial intelligence

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the launch of a national initiative through which ten million young people will be trained in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in the next 12 months, as part of New Delhi's strategy to transform India into a global center of technology and innovation, EFE reports. "In the coming year, we will work to provide training in the field of artificial intelligence to ten million young people, so that the youth of India have the ability to lead in the world of AI as well," Narendra Modi said in a speech from the walls of the Red Fort in New Delhi, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Independence Day. The initiative is part of the Indian government's economic plan to change the country's production model and accelerate technological development. The goal is for India to become a fully developed nation by 2047. "We must not simply transform our country into a market for the whole world. We must become an innovation hub,” Modi said, underlining the ambition for the Indian technology ecosystem to become a global leader in emerging technologies.

• Investment in digital infrastructure and strategic technologies

The Indian prime minister linked the development of artificial intelligence to the expansion of public digital infrastructure and the strengthening of sectors considered strategic, including semiconductor manufacturing, quantum computing and the development of domestically manufactured 6G networks. However, the expansion of these technologies also implies a significant increase in energy requirements. Modi assessed that the transition to new technologies will require "huge amounts of electricity”. In this context, India has set a goal of reaching a nuclear power generation capacity of 100 gigawatts by 2047, in parallel with the expansion of the use of solar energy. "This is the era of AI, quantum technology, space, robotics and data centers. A whole new field has opened up,” said Narendra Modi.

• The "Self-reliant India” strategy

The New Delhi government's interest in artificial intelligence is also part of the Modi administration's economic self-sufficiency policy, known as the "Self-reliant India” concept. The strategy aims to strengthen India's domestic capabilities in key technological areas, including data processing and microchip manufacturing. By developing these sectors, the Indian authorities are trying to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and transform the country into a global hub for digital technologies and semiconductor manufacturing.