"India In First Group Of AI Powers": Ashwini Vaishnaw Counters IMF Ranking At Davos

Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw pushed back strongly against remarks by International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva that placed India in a "second grouping" of AI powers, asserting that global benchmarks show the country among the top tier and that India is building capabilities across the full artificial intelligence stack.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Tuesday, Vaishnaw questioned the yardstick used by the IMF chief and cited a Stanford assessment that, he said, ranks India third globally on AI preparedness. "I don't know what the IMF criteria is but Stanford places India at 3rd in the world for AI preparedness. I don't think your classification is correct," the Minister said, arguing that India should be viewed as "clearly in the first group."