'AI should be basic necessity to serve Indian citizens at scale’: Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma shares why India should build its own AI

At the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit 2023, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma highlighted the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India. Sharma emphasized that AI is not just a technological advancement, but a necessity for everyday life in India due to the lack of resources available for essential services.

AI in Education

Sharma focused on the education sector, stating that India, despite having the best demography, faces significant challenges. English, not being the first language for many, acts as a barrier for numerous teachers and students. While the internet and globally accessible videos have eased access to content, the absence of an interactive teacher remains a hurdle.

“AI bots, especially local language AI bots built in India, will be a phenomenal leap forward in education,” said Sharma. He envisioned a future where classroom teaching is assisted by AI, enabling students to overcome language barriers and gain global relevance. This vision extends from early education to post-graduation and doctorate levels.

AI Across Sectors

Sharma also touched upon the potential of AI in healthcare and financial services. He underscored the need for AI solutions tailored to India’s unique needs and data, emphasising that the responsibility to develop these solutions lies with Indian entrepreneurs.

Sharma stressed the need for India to develop its own AI solutions rather than relying solely on Western products. He pointed out that while Western solutions have worked for social networks and search engines, AI services need to be tailored to local requirements. This is due to the unique data and specific needs of the country.

He said, “Whether through an open source large language model or by training a model with Indian data, AI will be a key to providing services to our citizens.” Sharma claimed that while many countries see AI as an enhancer, he thinks AI should be basic necessity to serve Indian citizens at scale.

The GPAI Summit 2023

India is hosting the GPAI Summit 2023. At the summit, 28 member countries and EU are participating to discuss the  international delegates engage in discussions around AI. The government is working on a consensus-based declaration on AI to deal with risks and foster innovation.

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