Drone Revolution Takes Flight As Avpl Opens 30 Aero Vision Labs Across India
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India To Launch Bold Ai Ambition With Focus On Basic Research Funding
India’s Quest for AI Supremacy: The Crucial Role of Basic Research and PhD Funding
Amit Sheth, a renowned professor at the University of South Carolina and one of the world’s most cited computer scientists, cautions that India is skipping a critical step in its pursuit of innovation: basic research. This phase refers to the fundamental discoveries and experiments conducted at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) scale 1-3, characterized by theoretical work, conceptual frameworks, and exploratory studies.
Basic research lays the groundwork for more applied and practical research, which takes place between TRL 4-7. India’s current focus is largely on this phase, involving the development of prototypes, testing of hypotheses, and refinement of ideas. However, Sheth notes that India invests relatively little in basic research compared to other countries.
For every 10 or 15 papers published on AI-related topics, India produces only one notable contribution. This gap is not a result of a lack of talent or potential but rather a consequence of inadequate funding and support for basic research. Sheth himself has achieved remarkable success in the field, earning one of the highest H-indexes among computer scientists worldwide.
His achievements were made possible by the supportive environment and resources available to him in the US ecosystem. However, this experience highlights the significance of having a conducive research culture, adequate funding, and access to cutting-edge infrastructure. The time required for basic research can be significant, often spanning five or more years.
During this period, researchers engage in extensive experimentation, data analysis, and theoretical work aimed at developing new insights, models, or techniques. This phase is essential for advancing the state-of-the-art, identifying key problems, and creating a foundation for subsequent research.
Despite the challenges, many Indian institutions are actively working to enhance their research capabilities and attract international talent. The Indian government has launched initiatives such as the Prime Minister’s Science and Technology Advancement Council (PSTAC) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which provide funding and support for research projects across various disciplines.
Several prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have established AI research centers and incubators to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. For instance, IIT Kanpur has set up the Centre for AI Research (CAIR), while IIT Bombay has launched the Institute for Learning Sciences and Arts (ILSA). These efforts aim to create a vibrant ecosystem of researchers, engineers, and innovators who can tackle complex problems in AI.
However, despite these positive developments, India still faces significant hurdles. The country’s research landscape is characterized by limited institutional funding, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient access to cutting-edge equipment. Additionally, the lack of standardization and regulation in AI research has raised concerns about data quality, intellectual property, and ethics.
To overcome these challenges and achieve breakthroughs in AI, India needs to address its basic research gaps through strategic investments and policy interventions. This can be achieved by:
- Enhancing institutional funding: Increase funding for research projects, focusing on interdisciplinary collaborations between academia, industry, and government agencies.
- Infrastructure development: Provide access to cutting-edge equipment, computing resources, and data analytics tools to support advanced AI research.
- Talent attraction and retention: Offer competitive salaries, benefits, and work-life balance to attract top talent from around the world and retain Indian researchers in the country.
- Standardization and regulation: Establish clear guidelines for AI research, ensuring the development of high-quality data sets, intellectual property protection, and ethics frameworks.
By acknowledging its current shortcomings and addressing these gaps through strategic investments and policy interventions, India can establish itself as a leading player in the global AI landscape. Basic research is not just about curiosity-driven work; it’s about developing the foundation for innovation that drives economic growth, improves lives, and shapes the future.