# India’s AI Strategy Should Be to Create a Data Infrastructure

1 Opinion May 3, 2018 Stern in the News ![Vasant Dhar](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/vdhar-article.jpg?itok=pbljmsFi) By Vasant Dhar > Indeed there could be advantages in letting others do the heavy lifting in creating the algorithms, and focus on vision and data instead.

Hardly a week passes without yet another story about the Artificial Intelligence race between China and the US. China has allocated massive funding to AI to enable new capabilities in transportation, surveillance and weapons. China is “all in” on AI, with Chinese private funding in AI in the last decade growing seven-fold faster than US funding.

India has largely ignored AI. No Indian university or think-tank figures as a serious AI research entity measured by citations or other measures of innovation such as victories in prestigious AI contests, where algorithms compete on standard problems. China now increasingly features such winners and boasts two AI institutions in the top 10 globally who work closely with the government. In contrast, India lags behind in terms of vision, infrastructure and the funding required to become a major player in AI innovation. Is it too late for India to play catchup in AI?

Interestingly, the answer is that it isn’t too late. Indeed there could be advantages in letting others do the heavy lifting in creating the algorithms, and focus on vision and data instead. Why?

Read the full article as published by [HindustanTimes](https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/india-s-ai-strategy-should-be-to-create-a-data-infrastructure/story-iGVxgoJfh84dNU6KulEIFP.html).

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*Vasant Dhar is a Professor of Information Systems.*## More Opinions by Vasant Dhar

- [Can AI Help Tame Religious Extremism?](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/index%2ephp/experience-stern/faculty-research/can-ai-help-tame-religious-extremism)
- [DOGE is Using AI the Wrong Way.](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/index%2ephp/experience-stern/faculty-research/doge-using-ai-wrong-way)
- [The Paradigm Shifts in Artificial Intelligence.](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/index%2ephp/experience-stern/faculty-research/paradigm-shifts-artificial-intelligence)
- [Why It’s Time to Safeguard Against AI Liability.](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/index%2ephp/experience-stern/faculty-research/why-its-time-safeguard-against-ai-liability)
- [SVB Was a Hedge Fund in Disguise – And the Banking Crisis is an Overreaction.](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/index%2ephp/experience-stern/faculty-research/svb-was-hedge-fund-disguise-and-banking-crisis-overreaction)