Tech giants Google, Nvidia to enhance AI focus, investments in India

Technology giants Google and Nvidia will enhance their engagement in India with more focus on leveraging artificial intelligence technology in the country, top officials of the companies said on Monday after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) major Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the Prime Minister has always been keen on learning about artificial intelligence, its potential and opportunities for India.

“I have enjoyed so many meetings with the Prime Minister. He’s such an incredible student, and every time I see him, he wants to learn about technology, artificial intelligence, the potential and opportunity for India, the impact on India, society and industry,” Huang said.

Huang’s Nvidia is estimated to have 88 per cent market share in the GPU segment which is in huge demand for AI workloads across the world.
He said India is home to some of the world’s greatest computer scientists which is a great opportunity.

“Artificial Intelligence is also a new industry, a new manufacturing industry. I’m looking forward to partnering with India in a very deep way to make that possible. We have many partnerships with India. For one, we’re helping India gain access to our most advanced technologies,” Huang said.

Nvidia has partnered with Yotta Data Services which plans to scale up its GPU stable to 32,768 units by the end of 2025.

Huang said India is the home of the third-largest startup economy and the work of all new generations of startups is based on AI.

“Every IIT has an Nvidia AI Center of Excellence. We’re teaching professionals. We’re teaching students how to upskill into this new world of AI. AI is a very complicated technology, but in the end it enables a country to take advantage of the technology in a way that has never been possible before. AI really democratised computing. This is India’s moment, you have to seize,” Huang said.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the Prime Minister has been focused on transforming India with his Digital India vision and pushed the company to make in India and design in India.

“He challenged us to think about applications in healthcare, education, agriculture, and he’s also thinking about the infrastructure of India, be it data centres, power, energy and investing to make sure India can transition. We are robustly investing in AI in India, and we look forward to doing more,” Pichai said.

He said that the PM has asked Google to do more in the field of AI and wants to make sure AI is there to benefit the people of India.

“He has a clear vision, both in terms of the opportunity that AI will create, but he wants to make sure ultimately, AI is there to benefit the people of India and he has a clear vision, that it should all be in the service of people of India. He is challenging us to do more,” Pichai said.

The meeting took place at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on Sunday during the second leg of Modi’s three-day US visit.

The Prime Minister participated in the roundtable with CEOs of US-based firms working on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum computing and semiconductors.