In this episode, journalist Puja Mehra speaks to economist and competition law expert Payal Malik about India’s push to become an AI powerhouse. While India has advantages in data and digital talent, Malik argues that inadequate computing infrastructure, limited R&D spending, and over-reliance on big tech threaten to stall its progress.
They discuss how initiatives like AIRAWAT aim to build indigenous capacity, but without strong competition policy and sustained investment in innovation, India risks repeating past mistakes—ceding control of critical digital infrastructure to global giants. With countries like China far ahead in AI funding, Malik warns that unless India builds open, contestable markets and ramps up support for startups, its AI ambitions may remain just that—ambitions.
Tune in for analysis of the political economy shaping India’s AI future.
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