India set to play pivotal role in AI use to boost social, economic progress: Centre

New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS): As the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) surges worldwide, India is set to play a pivotal role in its use to accelerate social and economic progress, the government said on Thursday.

Dr Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), said that globally, AI and GenAI are evolving rapidly and the world is witnessing their remarkable potential.

“This year, India will host ‘World Telecom Standardization Telecom Assembly (WTSA-2024)’ along with India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024 in New Delhi, where WTSA-2024 will play a critical role in shaping the standardization practices of evolving technologies including AI,” said Mittal.

IMC 2024, from October 15-October 18 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, is expected to have over 50 global and Indian speakers for discussion on multiple facets of AI and GenAI, spanning across 11 diverse discussions.

IMC 2024 and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will also organise a special daylong session on ‘AI for Good’, where experts and delegates from around the world will deliberate on the subject.

Ramakrishna P, CEO of IMC 2024, said India is at the centre-stage of technology evolution and plays a critical role.

“Our aim is not only to felicitate the varied points of view but also explore to come up with a ‘thought paper/report’ on the subject. We look forward to having the greater presence of delegates and visitors this year and support of all our partners,” Ramakrishna added.

The event will also highlight topics like quantum technology and circular economy, along with spotlight on 6G, 5G use-case showcase, cloud and edge computing, IoT, semiconductors, cybersecurity, green tech, satcom and electronics manufacturing.

The startup programme ‘Aspire’ will witness over 140 startups focusing on AI-based applications in different industries.

Apart from industry participation, IMC 2024 is set to witness participation and booths from over 15 ministries as well, which will also showcase how AI is being integrated in their departments.