Make in India needs to be expanded to ‘Make AI in India’ now: AAP’s Raghav Chadha in Rajya Sabha-OxBig News Network

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday called for India to take the lead in Artificial Intelligence (AI) instead of lagging. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, Chadha said, “Ye samay AI ka hai!” (This is the era of AI), warning that while the world is advancing rapidly, India risks being left behind.

Consumer or creator? India must decide

Chadha highlighted how major global powers have invested heavily in AI. “The US has ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok. China has DeepSeek and Baidu. These nations are miles ahead because they began investing years ago,” he said. “The real question is: will India be a consumer of AI or a creator of AI?”

Comparing AI investments, Chadha pointed out that the US has committed over 500 billion dollars, China 137 billion dollars, while India’s AI mission stands at just one billion dollars. He also cited global AI patent filings between 2010 and 2022, revealing that the US accounted for 60 per cent of AI patents, China 20 per cent, and India only 0.5 per cent.

“India has the maximum calibre, the most hard-working talent. We contribute 15% of the global AI workforce and have the third-highest AI skill penetration in the world. But if we don’t act now, we will lose this edge,” he emphasised.

Call to expand ‘Make in India’ to ‘Make AI in India’

Chadha stressed that India’s Make in India vision must evolve to focus on AI. “We cannot depend on foreign AI models. India must build its own,” he said, adding that AI is not just about technology but also about economic power, national security, and sovereignty.

He laid out key steps to transform India into an AI powerhouse:

* Develop indigenous AI chips and high-performance computing infrastructure.

* Incentivise chip manufacturing and set up dedicated AI computing systems.

* Create sovereign AI models for data protection, national security, and economic independence.

* Provide generous research grants to Indian institutions and AI startups.

‘The time for action is now’

Chadha posed a crucial question to the government: “140 crore Indians are asking—will we remain AI consumers or become AI producers?” He urged the government to announce a clear, time-bound national AI strategy with robust funding, institutional collaboration, and infrastructure development. “India has the talent, the drive, and the potential. What we need now is vision and investment. The world is not waiting—neither should we,” Chadha concluded.