"India's Inclusive Innovation Inspires Global AI Governance," says Sanjay Puri, President, Regulating AI at the 80th United Nations General Assembly Roundtable

VMPL
New York [US], September 26: The Roundtable on Democratic Artificial Intelligence Governance for Global Peace and Prosperity, held during the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, convened former Heads of State, senior UN officials, and leading experts to discuss how democratic values can shape the future of AI. The dialogue spotlighted India's role as a digital empowerment leader for the world, particularly the Global South, transforming societies through innovations such as United Payments Interface (UPI) and extending this inclusive growth model to artificial intelligence.
Co-hosted by Regulating AI in partnership with Club de Madrid, the dialogue explored the challenges and opportunities countries face in the AI era. Distinguished leaders who participated in the roundtable included Danilo Turk, President of Club de Madrid and former President of Slovenia; Mari Kiviniemi, former Prime Minister of Finland; Stefan Lofven, former Prime Minister of Sweden; and Leonel Fernandez, former President of the Dominican Republic, along with other senior representatives from multilateral organizations and the private sector.
Speaking at the roundtable, Sanjay Puri, President, RegulatingAI, underscored the global significance of India's digital transformation. "India stands as an inspiration for the Global South. With $11.1 billion in private AI investment between 2013 and 2024, over $10 billion in cross-border AI inflows, and a thriving innovation ecosystem of 1.8 lakh startups, with 89% of new startups in India last year being AI-powered, the country has showed that inclusive innovation can scale even in resource-constrained settings. Just as UPI redefined digital payments for 1.4 billion people and beyond, India's AI journey shows how democratic, transparent and equitable governance models can be replicated worldwide, bridging divides, empowering emerging economies and shaping AI for true global public good."
India's rapid advances in AI and digital transformation are seen as a blueprint for emerging economies. Ranked fifth worldwide in AI investment, with nearly $21 billion in cumulative inflows and a flourishing startup ecosystem, India also boasts one of the largest AI talent pools globally. Initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission, Aadhaar with 1.38 billion enrolments, and BharatNet's connectivity to 2,00,000 villages demonstrate how a large developing nation can scale technology for inclusivity while building sovereign digital capacity.
Delegates expressed optimism about India's expanding AI talent base, its digital public infrastructure model and growing South-South collaborations to share scalable, low-cost solutions globally. The roundtable encouraged partnerships across governments, civil society, academia and industry to operationalize democratic AI that remains equitable and transparent.
The session's insights will feed into ongoing multilateral AI discussions at the United Nations, the Global Partnership on AI, and other intergovernmental platforms. They will also inform new frameworks and collaborations aimed at ensuring AI systems remain open, interoperable and inclusive across languages, regions and economies.
About RegulatingAI
Regulating AI is committed to the ethos of responsible innovation. In today's rapidly evolving AI landscape, it is crucial to ensure that appropriate regulations are in place to harness the technology ethically and responsibly. While AI regulations are gradually being incorporated into legislation, Regulating AI actively fosters dialogue between experts and policymakers to help shape a more responsible future through effective AI laws and governance frameworks.
About Club de Madrid
Club de Madrid is the world's largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, who leverage their individual and collective leadership experience and global reach to strengthen inclusive democratic practice and improve the well-being of people around the world. The non-partisan and international non-profit organization has more than 130 members from over 70 countries, along with a global network of advisers and partners across all sectors of society. This unique alliance stimulates dialogue, builds bridges and engages in advocacy efforts to strengthen public policies and effective leadership through recommendations that tackle challenges such as inclusion, sustainable development and peace, at the national and international levels.
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