Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra on 9 May called for the democratisation of artificial intelligence as a cornerstone of expanding India-US technology cooperation, speaking at the US-India AI and Emerging Technology Forum in Washington. Kwatra outlined how India's approach — encapsulated in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "AI for all" vision — aims to ensure that the benefits of AI are accessible to people globally, not just to a technological elite.

The Case for Democratising AI

Kwatra drew on the recently concluded AI summit in India, which brought together more than 20 heads of state and government, global research communities, scientists, and industry leaders. "One of the driving thrust…was eventually the democratisation of AI," he said at the forum.

He elaborated on the underlying principle: "If the end product of this technology is intelligence… the diffusion of that intelligence has to be democratised for the benefit of people." This vision, he noted, was formally captured in the New Delhi Declaration that emerged from the summit, and reflects Modi's stated approach of "AI for all in many ways."

Growing India-US Technology Partnership

Kwatra pointed to deepening bilateral cooperation as a structural feature of the relationship, not merely a diplomatic aspiration. "We could also sign a joint cooperative framework between India and the US in this space," he said, referencing the momentum built across technology, innovation, and manufacturing sectors.

He described the partnership as one that is already reshaping supply chains and driving economic activity across both nations. Notably, he cited semiconductor investment as a concrete example linking capital, technology, and talent — a domain where India and the US have moved swiftly in recent years.

AI as a Hardware and Infrastructure Story

Kwatra challenged the common framing of AI as a purely software-driven phenomenon. "It's a hardware story… whether it's power, whether it's data centers, whether it's critical minerals," he said. This framing underscores why India-US cooperation on semiconductors and critical mineral supply chains is central to the AI agenda, not peripheral to it.

He also acknowledged the pace of change: "Artificial intelligence is both current and naturally emerging at a scale and speed which is very difficult… to fathom."

Future Frontiers: Quantum and Nuclear Fusion

Looking ahead, Kwatra highlighted quantum computing, quantum communication, and nuclear fusion as priority areas for future bilateral collaboration. He also stressed that university-to-university research partnerships remain a key driver of long-term innovation between the two countries.

Governance, Security, and Safe AI

On the governance front, Kwatra said India is committed to building "safe, secure and trusted AI" systems. "Security… from any kind of malicious attack is always a priority," he said, adding that the focus extends to protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining social harmony.

India and the United States have been actively working to align standards on trusted and secure AI systems, even as they scale deployment across industries. With a joint cooperative framework potentially on the horizon, the bilateral AI agenda appears set to move from vision to verifiable commitments in the months ahead.