Paris, France – The Second India-France AI Policy Roundtable took place on February 10, 2025, at the Sciences Po Paris campus as an official side event to the AI Action Summit 2025. Organized by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, in partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, IndiaAI Mission, and Sciences Po Paris, the roundtable fostered discussions on AI governance, ethical deployment, and cross-border collaboration.
Key Themes and Insights
The session opened with remarks by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, who underscored India’s priorities in responsible AI development, equitable access, techno-legal governance, and AI safety research. He emphasized the synergy between India and France in shaping global AI policies and fostering technological advancements.
Co-chair remarks were delivered by Shri Amit A. Shukla (Joint Secretary, Cyber Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs, India) and H.E. Henri Verdier (Ambassador for Digital Affairs, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs). They highlighted:
- DPI for AI (Digital Public Infrastructure)
- AI foundation models
- Global AI governance
- Data sovereignty and arbitration challenges
Expert Contributions and Discussions
The roundtable featured interventions from policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs, including Dr. Preeti Banzal (PSA Office, India), Smt. Kavita Bhatia (MeitY, India), Mr. Clément Bacchi (French Ministry of Economy and Finance), and Mr. Sharad Sharma (iSPIRT Foundation), among others. Discussions revolved around:
- Democratizing AI access and fostering capacity building
- Sovereign AI models and ethical AI frameworks
- Multilingual Large Language Models (LLMs)
- Federated AI compute infrastructure
- Interoperable AI research, datasets, and high-performance computing
- Sustainable AI and energy-efficient computing
- Public-private partnerships in AI governance
Building on Previous Discussions
This roundtable built upon insights from the First India-France AI Policy Roundtable, held at IISc Bengaluru on January 25, 2025, during the Technology Dialogue 2025. The initial discussions focused on inclusive AI frameworks, data collaboration, public-private partnerships, and AI for sustainability and healthcare.
The Paris roundtable reaffirmed the commitment to fostering a balanced approach to AI governance—one that minimizes risks while driving innovation. The emphasis on global AI safety frameworks, ethical deployment, and cross-border research collaboration sets the stage for deeper engagement between India, France, and the broader global AI community.
For more details, visit: https://technologydialogue.in/ai-rt-feb.html
