New Delhi [India]: India’s growing stature in global digital governance and artificial intelligence was front and center at the Carnegie Global Technology Summit 2025, where top international delegates recognized the country’s pivotal role in building a secure, inclusive, and innovation-driven digital future.
Maria Adebahr, Director for Cyber, Foreign and Security Policy at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, praised India’s rising digital prominence while speaking on the sidelines of the summit.
“This conference here is a wonderful opportunity to deepen the ties with India. India is such an important country to work with, given the geopolitical situation,” Adebahr stated. She emphasized the importance of international collaboration among democracies to ensure a transparent and accessible cyberspace, and further remarked on India’s digital model:
“India is a very good example because with your population, services and digital services,” she said.
Meanwhile, Jon Simonsson, Senior Director at the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office, highlighted India’s thriving innovation ecosystem and its potential to lead the world in cutting-edge technology.
“They need to make it easier for students and entrepreneurs to go this way and do things,” Simonsson noted, stressing the need for institutional support and funding.
“Some capital is needed, but as more than 100 unicorns are based in India, startups can invest in these areas and do exactly how DeepSeek is doing,” he added.
Addressing regulatory frameworks, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Raj Shukla, Member of the Union Public Service Commission, underlined that India’s recent breakthroughs in AI—particularly by ventures like DeepSeek—stem from homegrown algorithmic innovation.
“We need innovation, but innovations and regulations don’t go together,” Shukla said.
He emphasized that the nation must empower its talent pool by reducing regulatory barriers:
“Has to deregulate hugely,” he urged.
Across the summit, participants agreed that India’s leadership in AI and deep tech relies not only on its talent and entrepreneurial spirit, but also on policies that encourage openness, experimentation, and long-term investment in digital infrastructure.