Hey everyone! On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha stood up in the Rajya Sabha in New Delhi and dropped serious truth bombs about India’s place in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. While the U.S. is churning out heavy hitters like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok, and China’s flexing with DeepSeek, Chadha’s got us all wondering: where’s India at in this AI revolution? Let’s unpack what he said and why it’s got me thinking about our tech future.
The Big Question: Where Are We?
Chadha didn’t mince words. “China’s got DeepSeek, the U.S. has ChatGPT and Grok—so where does that leave India?” he asked. It’s a fair question. The U.S. and China are sprinting ahead, and India’s progress is slow. He’s worried we’re lagging, and honestly, I am too. Can we even dream up our generative AI model to rival the big dogs? That’s the million-dollar question he threw out there.
Patents Tell a Story
Here’s a stat that hit hard: from 2010 to 2022, the U.S. snagged 60% of the world’s AI patents, China took 20%, and India? Just 0.5%. Ouch. We’re the fifth-largest economy globally but barely on the board in the AI patent game. Chadha pointed out that the U.S. and China got a four- or five-year head start because they’ve poured cash into research, universities, and AI projects. Meanwhile, we’ve got the brains—15% of the global AI workforce is Indian, about 4.5 lakh pros—but most work abroad. We’re fueling everyone else’s engines instead of our own.
Also Read: The Scope of Artificial Intelligence in India: Opportunities & Future Prospects
Consumers, Not Creators
With over 90 crore internet users, India is a digital giant. Well, Chadha holds that we are more of a consuming giant of AI than a creating giant. Ouch. He even referenced Sam Altman from OpenAI when calling India’s AI scene “disappointing.” Harsh, but it is a wake-up call. We have talent, hustle, and a booming digital economy- yet we are in a situation where we buy AI but do not build it. Why not?
Chadha’s Game Plan
Chadha’s not just pointing fingers—he’s got ideas. He wants India to make its own AI chips, set up a dedicated AI infrastructure fund, and throw in research grants and tax breaks to spark innovation. Stop the brain drain—keep our top talent here, not jetting off to Silicon Valley. He’s got a point: the U.S. spends 3.5% of its GDP on AI research, China’s at 2.5%, and India’s lagging at 0.7%. If we want to play with the big leagues, we’ve got to up our investment game.
The Big Picture
Chadha closed with an audacious vision: “The nation that masters AI will lead the world.” Oh, I like that. He linked it with “Make in India”, urging “Make AI in India.” Last month, PM Modi was in Paris at an AI Summit, discussing AI’s terrific transformation in health, farming, and education here, and Chadha is saying, let’s not just talk; let’s do. So, what do you think: can India be an AI powerhouse? Let’s discuss it!