This comes in the backdrop of a first-ever India-US 'national security' semiconductor fabrication partnership inked during the Indian Prime Minister's visit to the United States.

Global Foundries' Kolkata Power Centre was also highlighted during the Modi-Biden meeting held on Monday. Both leaders emphasised the Centre's potential for R&D partnership in chip manufacturing, low-emission tech, IoT, AI and data centres.

MeitY's forward-looking statements also come after the recent approval of a fifth semiconductor unit under the India Semiconductor Mission.

Making India Semicon-Ready

Established by Kaynes Semicon Pvt Ltd in Sanand, Gujarat, the plant has a significant investment of Rs 3,300 crore and aims to produce six million chips daily. 

These chips will cater to critical sectors, including automotive, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, telecom, and mobile phones.

Of the four additional semiconductor plants on the horizon, three will be located in Gujarat and one in Assam. Notably, only one of these— the Tata-PSMC fab—will focus on chip fabrication, while the others will primarily handle assembly and testing.

None of the upcoming semiconductor plants will be producing AI chips, reported The Secretariat earlier.

“Semiconductor is a sector in which the whole world is making investments…The Fab that TATA Group is setting up is 28 nanometers. But to go from there to 3 nanometers or 5 nanometers it requires much more than what we have done so far. While we have covered a lot of ground there's a lot more to do,” said Abhishek Singh, additional secretary at MeitY, at the PAFI event. 

The specifications of 28, 3, or 5 nanometers refer to the size of the transistors on a semiconductor chip. Smaller transistor sizes generally allow for greater performance, efficiency, and power savings.

What’s Next For India’s AI Mission & Privacy Laws?

Looking to the future, Secretary S. Krishnan of the MeitY, outlined a desire to see at least three or four functional AI models emerge from the India AI Mission.

Under the newly launched flagship AI Mission, several machine learning models have emerged, including Bhashini, a multilingual NLP (natural language processing) platform, Samanantar for machine translation, AI4Bharat for various applications, DigiSaksham for digital literacy, and Kisan AI for agricultural support. 

However, to maintain competitiveness on the global stage, India needs to develop even more AI models that cater to local challenges and industries. For instance, a model like ChatGPT, primarily trained in English and a few other languages, may not adequately address the needs of users across India's 122 major languages. It may generate content in Hindi or Bengali but will struggle with Santali or Dogri.

Addressing Privacy And Cybersecurity Concerns

The government's third wish—establishing a robust data architecture that addresses both cybersecurity and privacy concerns—aligns with several other frameworks currently being developed by the IT ministry.

With “bad actors,” such as individuals or entities that misuse technology for malicious purposes, already present, India is on the precipice of establishing a strong data protection law before implementing AI regulations to combat sophisticated threats like deep fakes. 

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act was passed by the Parliament a year ago but continues to face snags, like deciding on parental consent for minors’ data. However, it has been reported that the rules of the Act are likely to be released for public consultation at the end of this month.

However, India is still several steps away from establishing comprehensive AI regulations and is encountering pushback from the tech industry. This situation mirrors the ongoing debate in the U.S. over California's SB 1047, which seeks to impose broader regulations on the AI sector.

An instance of the ministry facing pushback from the tech industry occurred when MeitY issued an advisory against deepfakes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections this year. 

The guidelines required companies to seek government approval before launching “unreliable” AI platforms. The move encountered substantial resistance, prompting the ministry to revise its advisory. 

Navigating The Regulation-Innovation Balance

India is among many countries working on AI regulations, joining nations like China, the European Union, and the United States, which have successfully developed frameworks to protect citizens from emerging technologies.

However, the government has maintained that "AI regulation must not stifle innovation."

During a panel discussion at the PAFI event, former Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh noted the complexities of regulating emerging technologies.

He remarked, “Regulation in emerging technologies can be very tricky. There is a fine line that we have to draw between regulation and innovation. If you regulate too much, you stifle innovation. If you regulate too little, consumers tend to suffer.”

The government has also to ponder on more critical questions: How to distinguish between right and wrong? Who decides what the technology will be allowed to do? How to ensure that tech Giants do not dominate the way people think, the way people behave?

As India navigates its tech landscape, it’s clear that a collaborative approach is crucial. The government, industry, and civil society need to team up to craft regulations that balance innovation with safety. 

After all, no one wants a tech jungle where the wildest ideas run amok, especially as emerging technologies aren't akin to a genie that can be put back in the bottle.