🗞️ India Pushes Ahead with Responsible AI: Final AI RAM Consultation Held in Delhi
India took another major step toward ethical and responsible AI governance.
On June 3, 2025, the 5th and final stakeholder consultation on AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) was held in New Delhi.
The event was organized by the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, in collaboration with the IndiaAI Mission, Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), and Ikigai Law as the implementation partner.
👥 200+ Experts Join National Dialogue
Over 200 stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and civil society participated.
The event marked the conclusion of a five-city consultation series, following earlier meets in:
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Bangalore
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Hyderabad
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Guwahati
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New Delhi
The goal was to gather diverse insights to frame an India-specific AI policy rooted in ethics, inclusion, and safety.
🔍 What is AI RAM?
AI RAM (Readiness Assessment Methodology) is a tool created by UNESCO to help countries:
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Evaluate their AI infrastructure and policies
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Assess regulatory and ethical readiness
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Recommend actionable policy changes
RAM is both quantitative and qualitative, assessing legal, technological, social, and economic dimensions of a nation’s AI ecosystem.
India is adapting RAM to its unique local needs, under the broader IndiaAI Mission.
🧩 Key Themes Discussed
The day began with:
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Mr. Tim Curtis, Director, UNESCO South Asia, giving opening remarks.
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A keynote address by Mr. Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY, and CEO, IndiaAI Mission.
A panel discussion on “Safety and Ethics in India’s AI Ecosystem” followed.
🗣️ Major Highlights from Speakers
Tim Curtis stressed the need for an ethics-by-design approach in AI.
He noted that real inclusivity in AI means building trust from the ground up.
Abhishek Singh highlighted India’s pro-innovation but cautious stance on AI.
He shared updates on:
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AI Kosh, a national platform for datasets
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Efforts to shortlist companies to build foundation AI models
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Projects under the Safe and Trusted AI pillar
👩💼 Panel Insights on Responsible AI
The panel featured:
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Ms. Debjani Ghosh, NITI Aayog
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Ms. Kavita Bhatia, COO, IndiaAI Mission
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Ms. Eunsong Kim, UNESCO
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Dr. B. Ravindran, IIT-Madras
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Dr. Mayank Vatsa, IIT-Jodhpur
Topics covered included:
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AI regulation and governance
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Sector-specific ethical guidelines
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Private sector’s role in building responsible AI
Debjani Ghosh said the challenge lies in balancing AI’s promise with its risks.
Kavita Bhatia praised the collaborative nature of India’s AI ecosystem.
💬 Breakout Sessions for Deeper Input
Several breakout discussions were held to gather focused feedback on:
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AI infrastructure
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Governance
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Skill development
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Youth participation in AI policymaking
These inputs will help shape India’s AI policy roadmap.
🌐 Global Principles, Local Action
India’s AI journey is being guided by UNESCO’s global recommendations, but grounded in India-specific realities.
The consultations reaffirmed a shared commitment to inclusive, trustworthy AI for all Indians.
UNESCO and MeitY will continue engaging stakeholders to democratize AI benefits and create ethical AI frameworks.
