India is now uniquely positioned to become the next global epicentre of artificial intelligence (AI) and deep technology, owing to its exceptional strength in big data and data utilisation, according to Claude Smadja, former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Speaking at the India Global Innovation Connect (IGIC) 2025 held in Bengaluru on June 4-5, Smadja expressed confidence that India's big data edge could power the next big technological leap that the world has yet to witness.

He emphasized that in comparison to major world economies, India has now developed an unparalleled capacity for collecting, managing, and leveraging data, which is vital for AI-driven innovation. While the United States is gradually losing its technological momentum, and China has overcome major structural challenges, it is India that now holds the unique opportunity to shape the future of global technology—provided it capitalises on its data advantage and supports its innovation ecosystem effectively.

Smadja, who has been engaged with India for over five decades, described the nation’s developmental journey as a “roller coaster” of aspirations and missed opportunities. He believes the time has now come for India to accelerate its catch-up process in cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, quantum computing, and deep tech, and to assert its leadership ambitions in the new global order.

At IGIC 2025, an event that convened top-tier global industry leaders from over 10 countries including the United States, Japan, Korea, Germany, Singapore, Israel, Switzerland, France, and the UAE, India’s potential to transform into a tech innovation powerhouse was at the heart of every major discussion.

India’s rise is not just about talent or cost competitiveness, but its abundant and diverse data sets, generated from a 1.4 billion-strong digitally active population. This advantage creates unmatched opportunities for machine learning, behavioural analytics, automation models, and contextual AI applications that are far more inclusive and scalable than those developed in other nations.

Smadja pointed out that India’s data ecosystem, anchored by platforms such as Aadhaar, UPI, CoWIN, ONDC, and DigiLocker, is already functioning at a scale and efficiency unseen elsewhere. The country has essentially built a digital public infrastructure that integrates identity, payment systems, health records, and commerce seamlessly. This kind of data-driven infrastructure creates fertile ground for startups, researchers, and global tech firms to build, test, and deploy innovative solutions for both domestic and international markets.

According to Smadja, India must now make bold decisions. He stressed that global conditions are favourable, but the real challenge is internal acceleration. India must eliminate bureaucratic inertia, focus on speeding up tech policy implementation, promote digital entrepreneurship, and incentivise academic-industry collaborations to turn innovation into economic advantage.

He also cautioned against geopolitical complacency and advised policymakers to take advantage of the global shifts away from single-country dependence, notably the global tech community’s gradual de-risking from China. India, he said, must build credibility as a trustworthy tech partner for the world by focusing on data security, ethics in AI, and intellectual property frameworks.

The India Global Innovation Connect 2025 served as a major platform for this conversation. The two-day event featured keynotes, roundtables, and sectoral sessions on emerging tech, AI, machine learning, quantum computing, semiconductor manufacturing, and innovation in the digital economy. Startups, academia, policymakers, and global corporates converged to exchange ideas and foster partnerships that would shape India’s future as a deep tech hub.

One of the key highlights was the emphasis on India’s potential to leapfrog traditional developmental hurdles through AI-enabled governance, smart infrastructure, and data-driven decision-making. Panelists repeatedly echoed Smadja’s sentiment that data is India’s biggest strategic asset, and leveraging it wisely could place the country at the forefront of the next tech revolution.

India’s massive and growing youth population, coupled with a thriving startup ecosystem, also plays an instrumental role. With over 100 unicorns, robust government backing through initiatives like Digital India, Startup India, and PLI schemes for electronics and semiconductors, the foundation is laid for rapid technological advancement. These elements combined with India's data-driven capabilities make for an ecosystem that can support globally competitive innovation.

Smadja noted that while countries like the US led the early tech revolutions, and China dominated manufacturing-led tech scale, India’s opportunity lies in creating a hybrid model—leveraging affordable talent, open digital frameworks, and a massive internal market to drive inclusive innovation.

He also proposed that India should invest in next-generation infrastructure, including AI computing clusters, quantum labs, semiconductor fabs, and cross-border tech incubators. All these must be supported by global capital, transparent regulatory systems, and IP protection laws that encourage foreign investment.

To sustain this momentum, Smadja emphasized the need for education reforms that build future-ready talent pools. He advocated for curriculum realignments in engineering and management institutes to focus more on AI, robotics, ethical tech use, and big data analytics. The long-term goal must be to build human capital that can lead innovations, not just serve them.

In closing, Smadja’s address at IGIC 2025 served as both a vision and a call to action. His message is clear: India has the big data strength and institutional infrastructure to power the next global wave of AI and deep tech—but only if it acts decisively and swiftly.

With the world watching, and geopolitical tides favouring diversification in global tech supply chains, India’s moment is now. Leveraging its data superiority, demographic dividend, and digital maturity, India can emerge not just as a participant, but as a leader in the global tech arena. The next technological surprise, as Smadja describes, may well be "Made in India"—driven by insightful data, inclusive innovation, and a clear ambition to lead.

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