Charting India's Path to Dominance in the Global AI Race

A Roadmap to Global Leadership

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), nations are vying for supremacy, aiming to harness the transformative power of AI to revolutionize industries, governance, and societal norms. Among these, India stands at a pivotal crossroad, poised to leverage its unique strengths and embark on a journey toward becoming a global leader in AI. This article delves into the strategic pillars that India must build upon to ascend in the global AI hierarchy.

Investment in Research

The bedrock of AI dominance or any other scientific or technological advancements lies in a nation's commitment to research. India's path to AI leadership necessitates substantial investments in both basic and applied AI research. This involves a multifaceted approach including funding universities, private research institutions, and incentivizing corporate research and development in AI. A critical step towards this ambition is the establishment of dedicated AI research centers. These hubs of innovation would not only foster the development of new AI technologies but also serve as beacons attracting global talent and investment.

Building Talent and Stopping Brain Drain

The prowess of a nation in the AI domain is unequivocally linked to the caliber of its talent pool. For India, this means a dual focus: nurturing homegrown talent and stemming the tide of brain drain. Improving the quality of education and expanding opportunities in AI-related fields are paramount. Initiatives such as scholarships, competitive career prospects, and fostering a thriving AI industry ecosystem are essential to retain bright minds that might otherwise seek opportunities abroad.

Setting up Semiconductor Manufacturing and Ancillary Businesses

In the AI equation, semiconductors play a critical role as the foundational blocks of modern electronics and, by extension, AI technology. Recognizing this, India has taken significant steps by approving the establishment of semiconductor manufacturing plants. This move is aimed at building a robust supply chain and reducing dependency on foreign imports, marking a crucial stride toward technological self-reliance.

Earlier this week Hon’ble PM had laid the foundation of 3 semiconductor projects worth Rs.125 Trillion. These initiatives will make India a global semiconductor hub.

https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/pm-modi-lays-foundation-stone-of-3-semiconductor-projects-worth-rs-1-25-trn-124031300575_1.html

Capacity Building in Semiconductor Engineers

Parallel to establishing manufacturing capabilities is the need to develop a skilled workforce adept in the semiconductor industry. India's focus on specialized engineering programs and vocational training aims to build the necessary human capital, equipping individuals with the skills required to innovate and excel in this high-stakes sector.

Democratizing computing access

AI's thirst for high-performance computing power is insatiable. Recognizing this, the Indian government's investment in infrastructure aims to bolster the availability of compute power.

The Union Cabinet had recently approved the Inida AI Mission to strength the AI innovation ecosystem, allocating Rs 10,372 Cr over next 5 years to support setting up of AI computing capacity in India. This strategic move ensures that researchers and companies will have the essential resources to develop and deploy complex AI models, thereby accelerating the pace of AI innovation within the country.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2012355

Implementation Skills

The theoretical potential of AI can only be realized through effective implementation. This encompasses a spectrum of skills:

  • Engineering Skills: Upgrading the capabilities of engineers across computer science, hardware, and AI disciplines.
  • Talent Retention: Implementing policies to retain top talent within the country.
  • Data Management: Establishing centralized data repositories to improve accessibility and quality for AI applications.
  • Security: Fortifying AI systems against cyber threats.
  • AI Management: Crafting management practices to oversee AI implementation across various sectors.

ROI for AI Application Implementation

For AI to transition from a niche technology to a ubiquitous tool, understanding its return on investment (ROI) is crucial. Businesses and sectors must comprehend the tangible benefits and efficiency gains AI brings. Emphasizing AI adoption and ensuring the security of AI applications, especially in critical sectors like finance, healthcare, and defense, are vital steps toward this goal.

Conclusion

India's journey to AI dominance is paved with challenges, yet it is imbued with unprecedented opportunities. By strategically investing in research, nurturing talent, developing semiconductor capabilities, ensuring compute power, and emphasizing effective implementation, India can not only secure its position as a global AI leader but also drive a new era of innovation and economic prosperity. The interconnection of these strategies underscores the holistic approach required, where advancements in one area fuel progress across others. As India embarks on this ambitious path, it not only aims to shape its destiny but also contribute to the global narrative of AI, promising a future where technology and humanity converge towards a brighter, AI-driven tomorrow.

Why we don't invest?

Investing is critical to what we want to achieve. It helps in creating wealth for us and for generations to come. And like any other thing, it is also a skill that can develop. There could be multiple reasons why people don't invest. The top of it could be  'affordability.' In India, we have a population of around 136 crores, out of which approximately 5.95 crores are tax-paying. It is safe to assume that these are the Indians who can afford to invest, which is 4.37% of the population. These are people like you and me. As per NSE, there are around 2.99 crore active clients as of 30 November 2021. The 2.99 crore active clients in a market of 5.95 crores indicate a market penetration of approximately 50%. The number of retail investors has increased by 20 percentage points in the last three months and is rising. But it is still tiny compared to the population of India. Below are some primary reasons that people don't invest, and resolving them can help boost the investments by retail investors.

  1. Awareness: Investing is not an instinct for a lot of us. As such, a lot of people don't even think about investing. Investing seems a term associated with big corporates. They don't know that something like this exists.
  2. Laziness: Yes, a lot of us are lazy. We know about investing, read about it, and know we should do it. Still, we don't. I don't think there is an excuse for laziness.
  3. Risk: Investing, like any other thing, involves risks. In general, the risk component increases along with the return. Markets are volatile, but strategies to mitigate risks and build wealth exist. One of the best and most successful strategies is investing in fundamentally strong stocks for the long term (a good number is five years) and reviewing your investments every quarter.  There are more strategies and avenues to invest as per your risk appetite, for example, mutual funds, SIPs, etc.
  4. Waiting to invest: Many people think they will start investing once their salary reaches a specific mark or once they reach a certain age. Waiting may not be the best approach. Like any other thing, investing is a skill that needs time and practice to develop. Start early, start small. This way, you have enough time, and you can control your risks.

Image Credit: People vector created by pch.vector - www.freepik.com

Getting lean and fitter

I am sure getting lean and fit would be on the wish list of many of us. But most of the time it is a Sunday thought that goes away in the drain as the week starts. At least this is what has happened with me from the past couple of years.

Getting lean just makes us happy, I guess. There is a lightness of being apart from other benefits of feeling active, looking good, being able to get into all kinds of clothes, and generally a good mood.

This Sunday I have decided to get lean and thought of a work plan which I will publish here with progress on a daily or biweekly basis. I am doing this because I think if I am writing it and making it public I will stick to it. This is a way of getting help and support from everyone out there.

I live in India and the supply of all the exotic veggies which are suggested across various blogs, online content, magazine, and apps, etc. for a great diet either are not available in India or are very expensive. Another factor is that procuring this kind of stuff becomes another job. We are already swamped with work and have identified so many excuses over time that maintaining such a meal plan becomes very difficult. So, from the very start, I have decided that I will follow a good diet which is part of our normal North Indian diet. I cannot go out on a daily basis in hunt of items that are not commonly found in my home. Hence my meals will be very much home-cooked Indian food. What I will be doing is replacing bad foods with good ones. You can do the same with what is available at your home. This I believe is a sustainable approach.

My current scenario and things I have decided to change:

  1. I am a coffee addict who loves milk. I take around 7–8 cups of hot coffee with milk each day. On many days I end up making myself cold coffee as well. For the next 7 days, I will try to have 2/3 cups of black coffee only. I don’t take sugar in my coffee.
  2. Like I said I love milk. I like the smell of it. One of my observations is that I gain weight due to milk. And hence from the past couple of years, I have restricted my intake of milk only to coffee. And as per #1, I will be totally avoiding coffee (and milk).
  3. I plan to introduce Indian chana in my diet. A chana salad with tomatoes, onions, cucumber for breakfast. To make this just soak the chana overnight and in the morning give it one whistle in the pressure cooker. You can make it for 2–3 days in one go. Add veggies when you are about to eat.
  4. For breakfast, I will have a banana smoothie with curd, honey and protein powder. It is not the yummiest thing but it is okay. I may also take a slice of bread or the chana salad.
  5. My lunch is chappati and veggies.
  6. For dinner, I take khichadi with veggies. I have stopped eating chapatti for dinner.
  7. In between snacks include channa with gur. It is extremely healthy and gives lots of energy. The mixture is 90% chana and 10% or less gur. At times I also take peanuts.
  8. One more addition to my drinks these days is lemon water. I feel very energetic after having it. I usually have it after my workout.
  9. I also take 2/3 green tea and some plain hot water during the day.
  10. I eat all seasonal fruits.

Lifestyle:

  1. My workout is simple 50 squats, 50 lunges, and 2 km of walk/running in the morning and 2 in the evening. I follow it for most days. I may include yoga and other exercises on some days.
  2. I do a few breathing exercises every day.
  3. I do not sit for long in one place. I keep myself active. I take 5–7 minutes of break each hour in between work and do a quick exercise either squats or running on the spot. I feel refreshed. These days most of us are working from home. It has its benefits but the amount of physical activity has reduced. We should try to stay active by taking small breaks and doing a quick exercise or stretching.
  4. I do not do late nights and sleep on time and try to get up early.




Why I would go for Nazara Technologies IPO

Nazara Technologies IPO has opened today. For many of us who don't know Nazara, it is a diversified gaming company. It offers interactive gaming, sports media platform and has started to venture out into gamified learning systems. It recently acquired a US-based kids learning company. 

Key Strengths: 

  • Interactive gaming solutions: Nazara offers multiple interactive gaming solutions including real money games. Interactive gaming experience provides for deploying interactive advertisement solutions. Thus opening a channel for advertisers to intimately connect with their audience and in unique demographics. 
  • Early Stage learning: Nazara's foray into gamified learning solutions with the acquisition of Kiddopia, an award-winning subscription-based early learning system, marks its entry into e-learning for kids, which is a growing market.
  • Sports Media Platform: Nazara is India's leading esports streaming and on-demand esports media content provider. Viewership of esports in India doubled to 17 million in 2020 while the prize money pool grew 25-30%, according to industry estimates.
  • Multiple Business Models: Company has multiple business models and is not stuck on just one: Freemium, subscription-based, esports platforms,  and real money. 
  • Presence across emerging and developed markets: With presence across emerging markets like Africa, Asia, and mature markets like the US. 

Gaming is a high-growth industry. It is set to witness 30%+ CAGR over 2020-2023 due to high mobile penetration, increasing internet penetration, and an increase in the number of gamers. 

If you have kids (or even otherwise) you must have heard these names Motu- Patlu, Chota Bheem, Oggy and the cockroaches. And if you are a sports fan you know about Sportskeeda and Carrom Clash, all of these by Nazara Technologies. Also, Nazara is India's first gaming company going for an IPO. Looks like a good bet.