Sovereign AI

Sovereign AI: Why It Must Become a Strategic National Priority for India

For a Viksit Bharat, data, computation and intelligence will become strategic resources. Protecting them is not protectionism; it is prudent nation-building. India should remain globally connected, internationally collaborative and technologically ambitious but sovereign enough to protect its citizens, institutions and national interests.

AI: The Race Without a Finish Line

The real significance of AI, therefore, may not be about who is the first to cross some hypothetical finish line called AGI. It may be about who is able to diffuse AI most rapidly through the real economy, into factories, services, logistics, research and everyday business

AI Evolution and Consequences: Is Mankind Playing With Fire?

But a plausible scenario about fear of AI could result when a rogue human coder may put in a malicious code (out of mischief ) in this far-from-equilibrium AI system and start a chain of events which may destroy the system. 

ISRO! Don’t Privatise Yesterday’s Rockets: Build Tomorrow’s With Industry

The purpose of privatisation, therefore, should not be to find a private buyer for every government-developed rocket. It should be to create an industry capable of designing, manufacturing, operating and eventually improving India's future launch vehicles. 

More on AI, Tech and Innovation

India, US discuss food security, bringing more wheat and sugar to global markets

Blinken said that Modi and Biden who met before their 2+2 meeting “had a very warm and productive conversation today in their virtual summit” and covered a lot of ground, including Covid-19, climate change, strengthening the global economy, the free and open Indo-Pacific

Women entrepreneurs push for revival of women-led businesses in Afghanistan

By 2019, a total of 17,369  businesses were owned by women—most of them were less than five years old then—and created around 129,000 jobs in the country, according to a study conducted by Afghanistan’s Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Can wheat be a new area of US-India cooperation to safeguard global food security?

Exports from the world’s largest wheat exporter Russia and the fifth-largest exporter Ukraine have been disrupted by the invasion. The two countries account for about 30 per cent of the world’s export of wheat

India to boost gaming and visual effects sectors; expects annual growth of 25-30 per cent

“The...sector in India has the potential to become the torchbearer of ‘Create in India’ & ‘Brand India’,” the statement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said

Nepal restricts imports of luxury goods to check depleting foreign exchange reserves

From the $800 million in surplus, the balance of payment recorded a deficit of $2.03 billion in the same period this year

Sri Lanka may exhaust $500 million line of credit from India for fuel purchase this month; Colombo seeks further assistance

The crisis has also rocked the country’s political leadership as they face nationwide protests seeking the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa—a demand the government has refused to entertain

India permits Nepal to export 325MW power in its energy market; major energy cooperation in the offing

Once known as a power-starved country, Nepal became a power surplus state last year during the winter months, with its production capacity touching 2000 MW after the commencement of the Upper Tamakoshi hydropower project (456MW)

Pakistan’s trade deficit surges to $35 billion, set to break all records in FY22

Fueled by record import bills due to global high fuel and commodities prices, the trade deficit is expected to touch $45 billion this year by June, surpassing the earlier record of $37.7 billion in FY18

India’s Russian oil purchases minuscule; energy payments not under sanctions, clarifies US; no preaching to India, says Germany

Given India’s pivotal role in the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy and its attempts to curtail China’s influence, Washington has generally been supportive of India despite its neutrality on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its purchases from Russia

India, Australia sign trade pact; Modi calls it a 'watershed moment'

Terming the signing of the pact as another milestone in the growing relationship between India and Australia, Morrison said the agreement further develops on the promise of the burgeoning relationship between the two Indo-Pacific countries that are members of Quad

World Bank approves $250 million for Bangladesh to support post-pandemic growth

“Since 2020, the World Bank has provided over $3 billion to Bangladesh to support emergency response, vaccination, and other Covid-19 recovery efforts,” Mercy Tembon, World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune

India bags power projects in northern Sri Lanka earlier awarded to Chinese firm

India was quick to offer grants on the condition  that projects would be developed by Indian firms—an offer Colombo eventually accepted

Amid dollar crunch, Sri Lanka mulls closing down some missions abroad

In February, the country’s foreign exchange reserves dropped to $2.31 billion, with the authorities struggling to pay for the imports of essentials like fuel, food, and medicine

Indian edtech firm BYJU'S named sponsor of the 2022 Qatar World Cup

The Bengaluru-based firm, which offers online education catering to all age groups, also sponsors the Indian cricket team and said the deal was its first major foray into soccer

After India's $1 bn credit line, China considering Colombo’s request for $2.5 bn assistance in economic crisis

In the last few days, at least three people have reportedly died while standing in these long queues due to exhaustion; another man was killed after a brawl over fuel, according to a report by Daily Mirror