Austria Sees Huge Scope For AI Collaboration With India: Top Official To NDTV

Austria's State Secretary for Digitalisation and e-Governance, Alexander Proll, on Tuesday underlined the growing scope for bilateral cooperation between India and Austria in the field of artificial intelligence, particularly in public services, smart manufacturing and supply chain optimisation, during the AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi.

Speaking to NDTV on the sidelines of the summit, Proll described his first visit to India as a "remarkable experience" and praised the country's scale, vibrancy and technological ambition. He said discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused on leveraging artificial intelligence to improve public services and deliver tangible benefits to citizens.

"We had very good conversations on how we can use AI in public service for the people," Proll said, adding that Austria sees India as a key partner in shaping responsible and people-centric AI solutions. He emphasised that strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries was a top priority for Austria.

Highlighting economic cooperation, Proll pointed to the proposed free trade agreement between India and the European Union, calling it the "mother of all deals." He said the agreement would create a win-win situation, boosting economic growth and expanding trade and investment flows. According to him, nearly 25 per cent of economic activity would be impacted positively through enhanced cooperation under the trade framework.

Proll also stressed the importance of collaboration in education and skills development. Austria, he said, is keen to welcome skilled Indian students to its technical universities, particularly in Vienna, and promote partnerships between academia, industry and governments. "We want to work together with academia, with businesses and with the government of India," he noted.

On industrial collaboration, Proll highlighted Austria's strength in "hidden champions" - highly specialised, globally competitive companies - and expressed interest in integrating AI into these sectors. He said Austria could learn from India's large-scale digital talent ecosystem, while contributing its industrial expertise to India's manufacturing landscape.

As part of his visit, Proll said he would travel to Bengaluru to engage with India's technology and startup ecosystem, describing the city as a hub of highly skilled talent. "We can learn from each other," he said, pointing to shared strengths in human capital and innovation.

Proll also praised Prime Minister Modi's leadership, calling him a visionary and expressing admiration for India's progress in critical technologies. He concluded by reaffirming Austria's commitment to deepening AI-driven cooperation with India across sectors.