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AI can speed up India’s social development, says philanthropist Sunil Wadhwani

“AI can play a transformative role in scaling up solutions in healthcare, education, and other critical sectors," the Indian American bizman said.

Sunil Wadhwani / Courtesy Photo

Sunil Wadhwani, a leading Indian American entrepreneur and philanthropist, believes India has the potential to emerge as a global leader in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for social development. "AI can play a transformative role in scaling up solutions in healthcare, education, and other critical sectors," he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Indiaspora Summit Forum for Good (IFG), he highlighted India’s progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and the role of advanced technologies in accelerating this momentum.

"I think with the work that India is doing and under the leadership of the Prime Minister, who is a big believer in the power of technology and AI to accelerate social development, I am absolutely convinced that India can become the global leader and the example on how to apply AI," Wadhwani said.

The summit in Abu Dhabi brought together over 600 influential members of the global Indian diaspora from 34 countries, fostering discussions on their growing impact across various industries and regions. Wadhwani emphasized the importance of collaboration between Indian-origin professionals worldwide and India’s development efforts.

"You have venture capitalists of Indian origin in the US and Europe who have set up funds in India to help build the startup economy," he said. "There are business leaders expanding their operations in India, and philanthropists making an impact in healthcare, education, and women's empowerment. If there were more collaboration within these diaspora communities and between them and people in India, the results could reach an even higher level."

Wadhwani also spoke about his foundation, Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence’s AI-driven initiatives, including a tuberculosis detection tool that identifies the disease from a person’s cough using a mobile phone. This innovation, he noted, has garnered interest from the World Health Organization for implementation in Africa. Another initiative assesses children's reading fluency in their mother tongue, already adopted across Gujarat schools.

"India is making a lot of progress, but there is still so much more to be done," he concluded.

Strengthening the diaspora's role 

Dr. Anand Deshpande, founder and chairman of Persistent Systems, echoed this sentiment, calling the summit an opportunity to engage with like-minded individuals and exchange insights. "We have been part of Indiaspora for a while, but this is our first time at the Forum for Good. It’s been a fulfilling experience, meeting old friends and making new ones," he said.

Sonali Deshpande, chief trustee and chairperson of Persistent Foundation, noted the strong emotional connection many diaspora members maintain with India. "Even those who have lived abroad for decades still want to contribute to their roots," she said. "Collaborating as a collective rather than individually amplifies the impact."

Both Anand and Sonali Deshpande emphasized the evolving role of the Indian diaspora in global and national development. "The Indian diaspora is making meaningful contributions across the world, whether in business, politics, or technology," Anand said. "India is in a strong position, and by working closely with Indians in India, the diaspora can help drive progress over the next 25 years, what the Prime Minister calls ‘Amrit Kaal.’"

Reflecting on Indiaspora’s growth since its inception in 2012, Anand described its transformation from a US-centric group to a global movement. "What started with 100 people has now expanded with growing ambitions. With MR Rangaswami’s leadership, it’s becoming the ‘Davos of Indians.’"

"India is becoming more global," Anand added. "And through initiatives like this, the diaspora is playing a crucial role in shaping the country’s future."

Himanshu Shah on driving innovation

Also present at the summit was Himanshu H. Shah, founder & executive chairman of Marius Pharmaceuticals, who stressed the need for rapid reforms in India’s manufacturing and innovation sectors.

"India is going to have to be more self-reliant. You cannot use the U.S. as your export market like before," he said. "The government must accelerate innovation, invest in skill-based education, and build mega factories to remain competitive."

Shah pointed out that India has kept pace in space technology and nuclear science, but lags behind in AI and manufacturing. He advocated for a massive expansion of community colleges to train India’s 20 million yearly graduates in high-precision industries beyond traditional fields like IT.

"The high precision industry cannot function in India because there is a tremendous lack of attention to details," he explained. "The government must work with the private sector to set up 20,000 skill-based schools where students learn to make things rather than just earn degrees."

Shah also raised concerns about India’s electoral system, stating that frequent elections disrupt governance. "We spend so much time fighting elections instead of getting the job done," he said, arguing for synchronized federal and state elections to improve efficiency.

 

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