India’s IT and Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw straight-up called out the IMF boss during a panel at the World Economic Forum. IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva had put India in the “second grouping” or “second-tier” for AI powers, basically saying the US and China are the real bosses in the first tier, and folks like India, Saudi Arabia, etc., are playing catch-up.
Vaishnaw wasn’t buying it at all. He turned to her and was like, “We actually don’t know what criteria the IMF is using here, but let’s look at actual data.” He pulled up Stanford University’s rankings—India is third in the world for AI penetration and preparedness, and get this, second globally for AI talent. “I don’t think your classification of India in the second tier is correct,” he said point-blank. “India is clearly in the first.”
He didn’t stop there. He explained India’s game plan isn’t just about pumping out the biggest, most expensive AI models like some places are doing. Instead, we’re building strength across the full stack: applications, models, chips, infrastructure, and even energy. There’s this public-private compute grid with thousands of GPUs running at way lower cost than global averages, letting us make practical, sector-specific AI that actually works for real problems without breaking the bank or getting hooked on foreign tech.
The vibe from him was clear: real power in AI comes from deploying it everywhere and making it useful for millions—not just bragging about one giant model. India’s focusing on massive diffusion so AI hits agriculture, healthcare, education, you name it, and delivers solid returns.
And yeah, he doubled down on the bigger picture too. In another session titled something like “Can India Become the Third Largest Economy?” (with folks like Gita Gopinath and Sunil Mittal on stage), Vaishnaw was super bullish. He said it’s not even a question of “if” anymore—it’s “when,” and it’s happening in the next few years. With 10 years of solid structural reforms, huge infra builds, inclusive growth, digital leaps, semiconductors, and now AI momentum, India is locked in. Projections point to us hitting that third spot around 2028 or sooner if things keep rolling at 6-8% real growth.
It feels good hearing this straight from Davos. No sugarcoating, just facts and confidence. India’s not begging for respect anymore; it’s earning it with talent, execution, and a homegrown strategy. The world better get used to seeing India up front in AI and the global economy rankings.
This is the kind of energy that gets you excited about what’s next for the country.
Sources:
The Economic Times
Times of India
The Hindu
India Today
