by WAF Think Tank
Bharat Ka AI 
– Make in AI for Viksit Bharat
So, the reset button has been pressed! Really long and hard this time! Once in 100 years or so, comes an opportunity when all nations have a level playing field. That rare and special moment when new nations get to challenge the pecking order and surmount the global inequity.
As the geopolitical arena gets disrupted by the VUCA Syndrome ( Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex and Ambiguous), it’s time to welcome and fully embrace the most important agent that’s leading this transformation – AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Click Here for Bharat Ka AI Program Site
The role of AI in the evolving geopolitical world is multifaceted and profound. It is reshaping power structures, introducing new arenas of competition, and requiring unprecedented global cooperation. As the AI era matures, the ability of nations to harness its power ethically, strategically, and inclusively will determine their place in the global order. In this new reality, leadership in AI is not just about technological prowess—it’s about shaping the future of international relations itself.
World Auto Forum ( WAF) is a global industry think tank and media house. It’s proudly “Made in India for India and the World.”
WAF has been actioning the dialogue on AI for the Industry for more than a decade and now it’s pioneering a unique initiative for India, Indians and India friendly nations. It’s time to get all important stakeholders onboard to co-create Bharat Ka AI
It’s time for Bharat Ka AI as a strategic asset
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant promise of future innovation—it has become a strategic tool that is rapidly reshaping the global geopolitical landscape. From military strategy and economic competition to information warfare and diplomatic dynamics, AI is influencing how nations assert power, protect sovereignty, and compete on the world stage.
In the 21st century, data is often likened to oil, and AI is the engine that refines and leverages this data. Governments are racing to harness AI for advantages in national security, economic productivity, and technological superiority. Leading nations such as the India, United States, China, and members of the European Union are investing heavily in AI research and development to build a technological edge. This competition has spurred a new form of geopolitical rivalry—one that prioritizes innovation, talent acquisition, and intellectual property.
1. Bharat Ka AI for Military and Defence Applications
AI is redefining modern warfare. Autonomous drones, real-time surveillance systems, and predictive analytics are transforming defence strategies. AI-driven decision-making tools are enhancing situational awareness, enabling faster responses, and improving the accuracy of threat assessments. Nations that excel in military AI stand to gain a decisive advantage in future conflicts, which has led to growing concerns over an AI arms race and the need for global governance in this domain.
2. Bharat Ka AI for Cybersecurity and Information Warfare
AI’s capabilities in detecting cyber threats and automating defensive responses have made it a critical component of national cybersecurity strategies. At the same time, AI is being weaponised for misinformation campaigns, deepfakes, and psychological operations aimed at destabilising political systems. The ability to manipulate public opinion using AI tools has become a potent instrument of soft power and influence.
3. Bharat Ka AI for Economic Competition and Technological Sovereignty
AI is a driving force behind the next wave of economic growth. Countries that lead in AI development are better positioned to dominate critical industries such as healthcare, finance, agriculture, and energy. This has led to a push for technological sovereignty, especially in semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, and AI chips. Nations are increasingly wary of over-reliance on foreign technology and are investing in domestic ecosystems to safeguard their economic futures.
4. Bharat Ka AI for Ethical Leadership and Global Cooperation
While competition defines much of AI’s geopolitical impact, collaboration is equally critical. Issues such as bias, privacy, labor displacement, and autonomous weapons require international norms and ethical frameworks. Institutions like the United Nations, OECD, and World Economic Forum are working to create guidelines for the responsible use of AI. A nation’s ability to lead in ethical AI development can become a source of diplomatic influence and soft power.
5. Bharat Ka AI to Power The Worldwide Rise of AI Diplomacy
AI is now central to diplomatic engagements. Countries are appointing tech ambassadors, participating in global AI forums, and forging alliances around digital technologies. AI diplomacy is shaping trade deals, defense agreements, and cross-border data governance. Nations that can navigate this complex digital diplomacy landscape will wield greater influence in shaping the rules of the future world order.
Key Objectives for Bharat Ka AI
- Validity of Sovereignty of the AI
Validate all the important facets of the Sovereignty of AI viz. Technical, Legal & Jurisdictional, Ethical, Geopolitical and more. Ensure it is compliant to the general validation framework and other important frameworks. An example to illustrate the constituents of the General Validation Framework which need compliance –
- Provenance Audit: Where did the data, model, and code come from?
- Autonomy Testing: Can it operate independently under defined rules?
- Accountability Mapping: Who is responsible if it fails?
- Standards Compliance: Does it meet international AI ethics and safety standards?
- Documentation & Traceability: Is there a clear paper trail of decisions, updates, and control?
2. Establish Governance and Regulation
- National AI strategy: Create a clear, actionable roadmap supported at the highest political level.
- Legal frameworks: Develop laws around AI ethics, privacy, accountability, and safety.
- Bharat Ka AI suggests – Sovereign AI agency: Establish a centralised body to coordinate AI development and policy.
3. Synergise DPI – Sovereign AI
a. Data Infrastructure & Sovereign Datasets
• DPI generates enormous transactional and behavioural data.
• India to curate anonymised and aggregated data repositories for AI training.
• Example: India’s DigiLocker and National Health Stack can fuel localised health AI.
Bharat Ka AI suggests – Implement public data trusts and data fiduciaries to make data available securely for AI development.
b. Language & Inclusivity
• DPI can provide structured multilingual data (voice, text) through platforms like government chatbots and IVRs.
• Facilitation of Sovereign AI to develop low-resource languages, promoting digital inclusion.
Bharat Ka AI suggests : Use DPI-generated linguistic data to fine-tune large language models (LLMs) for regional usage.
c. Ethical AI & Governance via DPI
• DPI can embed ethical AI guidelines (e.g., fairness audits, explainability mandates).
• AI built on DPI can reflect public sector values: equity, transparency, and accountability.
- Introduce policy sandboxes within DPI to test and audit AI systems in public service contexts.
d. Compute Infrastructure as DPI
• Countries should treat AI compute infrastructure (e.g., GPU clusters, national clouds) as DPI.
• Sovereign AI requires domestic or trusted compute environments.
Bharat Ka AI suggests – Establish public-private compute networks and national AI supercomputing grids.
e. Open Innovation & Public Platforms
• DPI is often open-source and modular (e.g., Beckn Protocol).
• Sovereign AI development should follow open model development, with participation from academia, startups, and civil society.
Bharat Ka AI suggests : Create AI commons or model repositories where public institutions and startups co-develop models trained on DPI data.
4. Create a Domestic AI Economy
- Startup ecosystem: Fund and incubate domestic AI startups.
- Public-Private Partnerships Build AI solutions on top of DPI using private sector innovation and state stewardship.
- International Cooperation Work with like-minded nations to co-develop interoperable DPI and AI standards.
- Talent Development Build sovereign AI capability through investment in national AI institutes and fellowships.
- Strategic industries: Apply sovereign AI in defence, health, agriculture, and education.
- Government procurement: Prioritise domestic AI solutions for public sector use.
5. Industry Engagement
Bharat Ka AI shall go beyond just a single program! It shall be an ongoing and evolving engagement to Co-Create Bharat Ka AI through
1. Sharing of new Innovations by Tech Cos with Govt, Private Companies & Institutions via the Bharat Ka AI Platform
2. Mentoring, Knowledge Sharing and Support from Senior Stakeholders and Leaders
3. Reviews, demos, pilots, deployments, rollouts of the AI tech / Apps – Co- Developed!
Best Practices and Award Winning Use Cases of AI at R&D, Procurement, Logistics, Production, Retail, Mobility & Road Safety
Bharat Ka AI – AI ka IPL!
AI ka IPL can be potentially groundbreaking. Here’s how it shall work :
A competitive, entertainment-driven league where AI agents, bots, or digital avatars compete in structured formats—just like cricket teams in the IPL. The competition could revolve around tasks such as:
- Battles for AI generated solutions around important themes of National Priority and top socio economic problems the country faces.
- Code challenges or bug-fixing duels
- AI-generated storytelling or music battles
- Debate or reasoning competitions
- Robotics or simulated sports in virtual arenas
Suggested Themes same as listed aforesaid, reiterating for convenience –
- Military and Defence Applications
- Cybersecurity and Information Warfare
- Economic Competition and Technological Sovereignty
- Ethical Leadership and Global Cooperation
- Power The Worldwide Rise of AI Diplomacy
AI Premier League Format
- Teams: AI teams (built by startups, universities, companies, or even individuals).
- Matches: AI bots compete head-to-head in specific tasks (e.g., game-playing, simulations, creative content, problem-solving).
- Season Structure:
- Broadcast: Matches are streamed with live commentary (human or AI-generated).
League Format: A Detailed Overview
The Bharat Ka AI league will feature a competitive structure designed to showcase the diverse talents and capabilities within India’s burgeoning artificial intelligence ecosystem. Participation is open to a wide array of entities, fostering a vibrant and inclusive environment.
Teams: The league will host AI teams originating from various sources. This includes innovative startups pushing the boundaries of AI, academic institutions fostering research and development, established companies exploring AI applications, and even individual AI enthusiasts with groundbreaking ideas. The diversity of team origins will ensure a rich tapestry of approaches and solutions within the competition.
Matches: At the heart of the league are the head-to-head competitions between AI bots. These matches will be structured around specifically defined tasks, carefully chosen to test different facets of AI intelligence. Examples of potential tasks include strategic game-playing (such as chess or Go), complex system simulations (modeling real-world scenarios), the generation of creative content (including art, music, and writing), and intricate problem-solving challenges requiring logical reasoning and innovative algorithms. The selection of tasks will evolve throughout the league’s seasons to reflect advancements in AI.
Season Structure: The league will follow a well-defined seasonal structure to build excitement and engagement:
- Group Stage: The initial phase will involve grouping teams together for a series of matches. This stage will allow for broader participation and provide a platform for teams to establish their strengths and strategies through multiple encounters. The format of the group stage (e.g., round-robin or other configurations) will be determined based on the number of participating teams.
- Playoffs: Following the group stage, the top-performing teams will advance to the playoffs. This elimination-based bracket will heighten the stakes and showcase the most competitive AI bots. The playoff structure (e.g., single-elimination or best-of-three series) will be designed to ensure that the final contenders are truly the best in the league.
- Final: The culmination of the season will be the highly anticipated final match. This decisive contest will pit the two remaining top teams against each other to determine the league champion. The final will serve as a showcase of cutting-edge AI technology and strategic prowess.
- Points System: Throughout the group stage, a carefully designed points system will track team performance in each task. The specifics of this system will be determined to incentivise not just winning but also demonstrating proficiency and innovation in the AI solutions. Factors such as the efficiency, accuracy, and creativity of the AI in completing tasks may contribute to the points awarded.
Broadcast: To reach a wide audience and foster public interest in AI, all league matches will be streamed live through various digital platforms. The broadcasts will feature engaging commentary to provide context, analysis, and insights into the AI competitions. This commentary could be provided by human experts, offering their understanding of the strategies and technologies involved, or even by sophisticated AI-generated commentary, potentially adding a unique and futuristic element to the viewing experience. The broadcast will aim to make the complex world of AI accessible and exciting to a broad audience.
