Santhosh Viswanathan, vice president and managing director of Intel India, recently spoke about AI’s transformative potential and India’s unique position in the global technology landscape. Viswanathan began by drawing parallels between AI and the internet, emphasizing how AI should become a ubiquitous and accessible technology that fuels innovation across various sectors. “Our goal is to make AI a horizontal interface, much like the internet, accessible to all, and driving innovation,” he stated. He noted that AI, like the internet, can revolutionize industries such as e-commerce, communication, and entertainment.
He praised India’s remarkable achievements in tackling large-scale problems. He cited the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a prime example of India’s capability to solve complex issues through technological innovation. “UPI is a good example of addressing a huge problem: how do you connect an entire nation? Someone thought about it, decided to build the necessary infrastructure over a decade, and made it happen. This was a significant challenge. Even in the US today, there is social security, but it does not include biometrics or privacy measures. So, while the US may have its systems, it doesn’t have population-scale identity solutions like we do in India. This is very unique to us,” said Viswanathan.
“The UPI example demonstrates that no other place can achieve digitization at a scale like India. I’ve lived in six different countries, and believe me, this is one of those places where the scale of population digitization is remarkable. It’s great to see Singapore on the list, but doing it for 6 million people is vastly different from doing it for 1.4 billion people, especially when all 1.4 billion have different views. This makes execution much more challenging, but it’s something we’ve accomplished in India,” he added on UPI.
He also highlighted India’s proactive stance on environmental issues, such as the ban on single-use plastics in 22 out of 28 states. “In some way, shape, or form, we are not the biggest consumers of plastic in India. On average, 28 kilograms of plastic is consumed per individual worldwide. In India, we consume about 11 kilograms per person. Despite this, we still decided to make a difference. Now, when you go to a small shop, the shopkeeper gives you a cloth bag or uses biodegradable plastics, which again shows that we can take on a big problem and solve it,” Viswanathan noted.
Empowering Women and Enhancing Skills
Addressing gender diversity, Viswanathan underscored the importance of increasing female participation in the workforce. He emphasized that technology, especially AI, can play a pivotal role in facilitating this inclusion through entrepreneurship and hybrid work models.
“I’m happy to see gender diversity in this room increasing, but we still have a long way to go. Half of our population is women, and their participation in the workforce will be a significant boost to the economy. We aim to grow from a $5 trillion economy to $10 trillion or even $50 trillion, depending on active participation. Technology can enable this shift. Whether through entrepreneurship, hybrid work, or other emerging concepts, we need to bring more people, especially women, into the workforce. Last year, women’s participation in higher education surpassed that of men, which is a positive sign, but there is still much to be done. I believe all men, including myself, need to play a better role at home so that more women can join and actively contribute to the workforce. This would greatly benefit the economy,” he added.
Intel’s Role in India
Highlighting Intel’s commitment to India, Viswanathan mentioned the company’s long-standing presence and growth in the country. From a small office in 1988 to a major development center with 14,000 employees today, Intel has invested billions in building capacity in India. “Intel’s journey in India reflects our commitment to bringing technology to the masses and driving innovation,” he said. He also discussed Intel’s efforts in democratizing AI access through products and initiatives such as the AI for Youth program, which aims to educate students, teachers, and government officials about AI. “Our goal is to ensure AI is understood and embraced by all segments of society,” he explained.
Viswanathan emphasized the importance of having AI capabilities across various technological ecosystems, from data centers to edge computing and personal devices. He highlighted Intel’s Gaudi 3 accelerator, which offers significant improvements in inference performance and power consumption, making AI more accessible and cost-effective.
Future of AI in India
Viswanathan emphasized the importance of open architectures and resilient supply chains to support AI’s growth. “India needs to start making products, and we see a huge opportunity in building a robust manufacturing ecosystem,” he said. He also emphasized the country’s unparalleled data generation capabilities, which can be leveraged to build robust AI models. “India’s ability to collect data at scale, combined with privacy controls, positions us uniquely to lead in AI,” he asserted.
Viswanathan praised the Indian workforce for its adaptability and rapid learning, which keeps the country at the forefront of technological advancements. Viswanathan noted that India’s frugality in innovation allows it to achieve more with less, citing the cost-effective development of space rockets as an example.
