India Today Conclave: The AI Boom: How India Can Lead In The Age Of Intelligence!

At the India Today Conclave 2025, Rahul Kanwal, Executive Director of Business Today, engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India & South Asia and Chair of the CII AI Council, along with Nitin Mittal | Principal, Deloitte Consulting; US Generative AI Innovation Leader Global Consulting Emerging Markets Leader. The conversation centres around the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and India’s position in the global AI landscape. As AI continues to redefine economies, industries, healthcare, agriculture, and everyday life, the discussion raises key questions—Why is AI development concentrated in the hands of a few global tech giants? Where does India stand compared to China and other AI leaders? Should India rely on existing Large Language Models (LLMs), or should it focus on building its own sovereign AI ecosystem to stay competitive? Nitin Mittal highlights that the pace of AI innovation is accelerating exponentially, transforming what once took years into mere days and weeks. He stresses that AI is about manufacturing intelligence as a digital product, and without an independent AI infrastructure, India risks falling behind in the global digital revolution. Puneet Chandok emphasises the need to democratise AI, ensuring its benefits reach all sectors rather than being limited to a few players. The conversation also delves into India’s potential to develop its own AI models, with discussions on when India will create an AI system. As the world moves towards AI dominance, can India bridge the gap and emerge as a key player? Watch this insightful discussion to understand India’s AI roadmap, challenges, and opportunities in the global AI race.