“AI or Die”: Why India’s Future Depends on Artificial Intelligence

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, a stark message echoed across global corridors of power: “AI or die.” The phrase, articulated by Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ and a leading global voice on artificial intelligence, captured the urgency of the moment. His warning was not dramatic exaggeration but a reflection of a rapidly changing global reality where artificial intelligence is becoming the central driver of economic power, innovation, and national competitiveness. For India, Hidary believes the foundations are being laid correctly, but speed and scale will determine success.

AI or die; India on right track: top AI expert at WEF | LiveMint

Why Artificial Intelligence Is No Longer Optional

Artificial intelligence has moved beyond experimentation and pilot projects. It is now a decisive factor in whether companies and countries survive or fall behind. Hidary stressed that organisations failing to integrate AI deeply into their operations risk becoming irrelevant, much like businesses that once ignored the internet revolution. AI today influences everything from decision-making and logistics to scientific discovery and national security, making adoption a matter of economic survival rather than technological curiosity.

SandboxAQ’s work demonstrates this shift clearly. Its AI-driven platforms are accelerating drug discovery, enabling new materials research, improving navigation systems, and strengthening cybersecurity. These are not theoretical benefits but tangible outcomes that reshape industries and reduce years of research into months.

India’s Position in the Global AI Landscape

India enters this AI era with several strategic advantages. Its vast population, strong IT talent base, expanding startup ecosystem, and digital public infrastructure place it among the most promising AI adopters globally. According to Hidary, India is moving in the right direction because it is focusing not only on software services but also on applying AI to real-world sectors such as manufacturing, energy, healthcare, railways, and telecommunications, which together form the backbone of the Indian economy.

Unlike many economies that restrict AI adoption to digital products, India has the opportunity to deploy AI across its physical infrastructure, where productivity gains can be transformational. This ability to apply AI at scale could allow India to leapfrog traditional development stages.

Government Policy and the IndiaAI Mission

Recognising the strategic importance of artificial intelligence, the Indian government launched the IndiaAI Mission with significant financial backing. The mission aims to democratise access to AI, build advanced computing infrastructure, support startups, and develop indigenous AI models suited to India’s linguistic and cultural diversity. It reflects a policy shift from viewing AI as a niche technology to treating it as national infrastructure.

India’s policy approach also emphasises ethical AI, data governance, and inclusivity, particularly for applications affecting public services. By positioning AI as a public good rather than an elite technology, the government seeks to ensure broader adoption across states, industries, and institutions.

Education, Skills, and Workforce Readiness

One of the most critical challenges in India’s AI journey lies in education and skill development. While AI adoption in Indian companies is accelerating faster than in many global peers, workforce preparedness has not kept pace. Universities and institutions are now beginning to integrate AI into mainstream curricula, with some proposing mandatory AI education across disciplines.

However, experts warn that technical skills alone are not enough. Ethical reasoning, data responsibility, and critical thinking must be embedded alongside coding and machine learning. Without systematic reskilling and upskilling, India risks creating a divide between AI-enabled organisations and an unprepared workforce.

Cybersecurity and National Resilience

As India digitises rapidly, cybersecurity has emerged as a major concern. AI plays a dual role in this domain. While it strengthens threat detection and response systems, it also increases the sophistication of cyberattacks. At Davos, cybersecurity was highlighted as one of India’s most pressing near-term risks, particularly given the scale of sensitive data held by banks, telecom companies, and government platforms.

AI-driven cybersecurity solutions are therefore not optional but essential to protect national infrastructure and economic stability. The integration of AI into defence and cyber resilience strategies will be a key test of India’s technological maturity.

From Consumer to Creator of Intellectual Property

Perhaps the most significant shift highlighted by Hidary is India’s opportunity to move from being a consumer of global intellectual property to a creator of it. AI tools now enable companies to design molecules, simulate materials, and innovate faster than ever before. This creates a pathway for Indian firms to generate proprietary technologies, file patents, and compete at the highest levels of global innovation, particularly in life sciences, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing.

Achieving this transition will require stronger collaboration between government, academia, startups, and industry, along with sustained investment in foundational research.

The MGMM Outlook

Artificial intelligence has moved from being a futuristic concept to a decisive factor shaping economic power, innovation, and national competitiveness. The warning echoed at Davos underscores a reality India cannot ignore: AI adoption is no longer optional but foundational to survival and growth. From healthcare and manufacturing to cybersecurity and national infrastructure, AI is already transforming how value is created and protected. India’s strength lies in its large talent pool, robust digital public infrastructure, and growing startup ecosystem, giving it the ability to apply AI not just in digital services but across physical and industrial sectors where productivity gains can be transformational. This positions the country to potentially leapfrog traditional development paths if adoption happens at speed and scale.

At the same time, India’s AI ambitions depend on how effectively policy, education, and innovation align. Initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission signal a shift toward treating AI as national infrastructure, with a focus on inclusivity, ethics, and indigenous capability. However, gaps in workforce readiness, the rising complexity of cybersecurity threats, and the need to move from consuming global intellectual property to creating it remain critical challenges. The opportunity before India is to build original technologies, strengthen national resilience, and embed AI deeply into governance, industry, and research. The trajectory is promising, but outcomes will be determined by execution, collaboration, and the ability to translate policy intent into real-world impact.

(Sources: LiveMint, Economic Times, Times of India)