In a significant step towards shaping India’s AI future, the Regional Office for South Asia, in collaboration with the IndiaAI Mission under MeitY and with Ikigai Law as the implementing partner, hosted the final session of the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) multi-stakeholder consultation in New Delhi on June 3, 2025. Held at the Shangri-La Eros Hotel, this concluding session marked the fifth and final stop in a series of nationwide consultations that previously took place in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Guwahati, and another earlier round in the capital.

This AI RAM initiative is part of a joint effort between UNESCO and the IndiaAI Mission to develop a comprehensive AI policy report tailored for India. It seeks to map the nation’s current strengths in artificial intelligence, identify growth opportunities, and present actionable policy recommendations for ethical, responsible, and inclusive AI adoption across all sectors. At its core, the AI RAM is a diagnostic tool designed to help governments strengthen regulatory and institutional capacities for AI development, emphasizing the importance of ethical standards and accountability.

This consultation comes at a pivotal moment, aligning seamlessly with India’s rapid progress under the ambitious IndiaAI Mission. At the heart of this mission lies the “Safe and Trusted AI” pillar, which emphasizes ethical practices, transparency, and safety in AI deployment. The initiative also prioritizes the development of indigenous frameworks, strong governance mechanisms, and self-assessment tools to empower innovators and ensure that the benefits of AI are equitably shared across all sectors of society.

The New Delhi consultation convened over 200 participants representing government, industry, academia, and civil society. The event commenced with opening remarks from Mr. Tim Curtis, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, who highlighted the critical need for an ‘ethics-by-design’ approach in AI development. He stressed that true inclusivity in AI goes beyond functionality, requiring transparency, core ethical values, and deep-rooted trust.

Mr. Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, and Director General of NIC, delivered the keynote address. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to building a homegrown, pro-innovation AI ecosystem designed to work for India and led by ethical practices. Mr. Singh elaborated on initiatives such as the AI Kosh, a platform for curated datasets, and efforts to develop Indian foundation models and support Responsible AI projects.

The panel discussion, titled “Safety and Ethics in India’s AI Ecosystem,” brought together leading voices at the forefront of shaping AI governance in India.

• Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog
• Ms. Kavita Bhatia, Chief Operating Officer of the IndiaAI Mission and Group Coordinator for the Emerging Technologies Division at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Ms. Eunsong Kim, Programme Specialist and Head of the Social and Human Sciences Section at the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia.
• Dr. B. Ravindran, Professor and Head of the Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), and Founding Head of the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI), IIT Madras.
• Dr. Mayank Vatsa, Professor of Computer Science, IIT-Jodhpur

The panelists explored the development of evolving policy frameworks, ethical governance structures, and the pivotal roles of industry and academia in building trustworthy AI systems. Ms. Debjani Ghosh highlighted the urgent need to balance AI’s transformative promise with its potential risks, calling it the defining challenge of our era. Ms. Kavita Bhatia emphasized the IndiaAI Mission’s collaborative ethos, encouraging cross-sectoral engagement to drive responsible and inclusive innovation.

The event also featured thematic breakout sessions, allowing stakeholders to dive deep into critical areas such as AI governance, digital infrastructure, workforce preparedness, and sectoral integration of AI. A special session focused on youth participation in AI development and policy, reinforcing the need to include young voices in shaping the future of artificial intelligence in India.

Inputs from these sessions will feed directly into the India-specific AI policy report, providing practical insights for strategic planning and policy implementation.

UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) stands apart from other AI readiness tools due to its hybrid design, combining both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. The RAM evaluates a nation’s AI ecosystem across five pillars:

Each pillar includes detailed assessment criteria, allowing for a nuanced understanding of current capabilities and gaps. The methodology is implemented with flexibility to suit the unique context of each country. In India, it has been executed by an independent research team, in coordination with UNESCO, MeitY, and a diverse set of stakeholders.

The AI RAM consultation process underscores India’s proactive leadership and strong commitment to fostering responsible AI development anchored in democratic principles, human rights, and sustainable growth. UNESCO and MeitY are working closely to translate international guidelines into concrete national strategies that align with India’s unique socio-economic and technological landscape.

As the IndiaAI Mission advances, it is clear that a multistakeholder, ethics-first approach will be key to realizing the vision of AI that is inclusive, innovative, transparent, and trusted.

This concluding consultation not only marked the successful completion of the AI RAM initiative but also laid the groundwork for India’s next significant stride in AI governance—anchored in responsibility, ethics, and the protection of human dignity at the heart of technological progress.