MMA and SASTRA University jointly organised a discussion on the book “The Road Ahead 2.0”, authored by Prof. T. G. Sitharam (Chairman, AICTE) and Yogi Kochhar (AI Futurist). The session was moderated by Dr. S. Vaidhyasubramaniam, Vice-Chancellor of SASTRA Deemed University & TATA Sons Chair Professor of Management. Along with the authors, Lakshmi Narayanan, Chancellor & Chairperson, Governing Council, KREA University participated in the panel discussions.
Edited Excerpts:
Prof T G Sitharam:
We are opening a window into the future where AI is no longer a distant dream. It is the present, shaping the world around us at an unprecedented pace. AI is not just a technological advancement; it represents a civilisational shift. Over the past few years, we have witnessed an explosion of generative AI, agentic AI, machine learning, and autonomous systems. The transformation has been redefining industries, governance, healthcare, finance, education, and even creativity itself.
Soaring AI Market
Let me share a few powerful numbers. According to Goldman Sachs, global AI investments are projected to reach around USD 200 billion by next year. The Trade and Development Report projects that the global AI market will soar from USD 200 billion in 2023 to USD 4.8 trillion by 2033—a twenty-five-fold increase in just a decade. That is mind-boggling. By then, AI could quadruple its share of the global frontier technology market, rising from 7% to 29% and emerging as the dominant force in the sector. In 2022, if you looked at the top 100 companies, mainly from the United States and China, they accounted for 40% of global AI research and development. Together, the two countries hold 60% of all AI patents and produce one-third of global AI publications. Soon after OpenAI launched, DeepSeek entered the scene and disrupted the landscape dramatically.
India too is rapidly building AI computing and semiconductor infrastructure, but we are still far behind. We may have immense talent and produce large numbers of engineering graduates contributing to this space, yet our computational capacity lags significantly. When I was Director at IIT Guwahati, a philanthropist from the US, Rahul Mehta, approached me to establish a School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. He has also set up centers at IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur. His request was specific: an undergraduate B.Tech program in Data Science and AI. He made a compelling presentation on why such a program was essential. Fortunately, as the coordinator of IIT JEE Advanced and Director of IIT Guwahati, I was able to initiate the program. We converted our Computer Centre into a School of Data Science, launched the B.Tech program, and secured funding. A new building is now coming up, and this milestone was achieved in 2021.
AICTE Marches Ahead
After COVID, in December 2022, I moved to AICTE. I asked my officers how many engineering colleges were offering programs in Data Science and AI. To my surprise, more than 1,000 colleges had launched B.Tech programs in this field, sometimes under Computer Science with a specialisation in Data Science and AI. Many had started as early as 2017, supported by AICTE’s model curricula in cybersecurity, data science, and artificial intelligence. This means AICTE has been ahead of the IITs in this regard. Today, India has produced thousands of graduates in these domains, and the world is watching us.
We now have close to 3,000 Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India, each hiring large numbers of senior professionals. The minimum workforce in any such company is around 5,000 engineers, and all are integrating AI across various domains. This is India’s real strength: its people and talent.
Need to Focus on Compute Power
Yet, despite this strength, our computing capacity is weak. India accounts for only 2–3% of global compute power, while the US dominates with about 70% and China follows with 20–22%. This is where we urgently need change. The Ministry of Electronics and IT is now coming up with big plans to address this gap, but the journey ahead requires speed, scale, and decisive action. Though India is rapidly building its AI ecosystem, that ‘rapid’ is still slow when compared to the breathtaking pace at which AI itself is evolving.
Having spent 30–35 years at the Indian Institute of Science and four years at IIT Guwahati, I hardly knew much about AICTE and its vast responsibilities. I came here with only one wish: to transform engineering education in the nation. I am happy to say that we have done just that. We have changed the engineering regulatory process into a facilitative one. We launched the Atal AICTE Teaching and Learning Academy, which has already trained 300,000 teachers. I have addressed at least 150 convocations, speaking about artificial intelligence, the future of innovation, and why entrepreneurship is more important today than ever before. Our children must not only seek jobs but also create jobs and AICTE is preparing them for that future.
Through AICTE, we established Institute Innovation Councils in all 14,000 institutions across the country over the last two years. This year, we also set up R&D Cells and Climate Cells in those institutions. The culture of research and innovation has been seeded, and though you may not yet see the published papers, the progress is inevitable. I am proud to share that AICTE has declared 2025 as the ‘Year of AI’, with numerous activities planned and already underway. On the 25th, we are partnering with OpenAI, which will provide 1.5 lakh licenses of ChatGPT 5.0 Advanced to our students free of cost. We must learn to swim with the current, not against it—and that is the challenge we have embraced.
The Mission: AI for All
AI is no longer a distant dream; it is the present, shaping the world around us at an unprecedented pace. And this is India’s opportunity. With our immense talent pool, demographic advantage, and entrepreneurial spirit, we stand on the brink of leadership. Already, India is the third-largest startup hub in the world. Soon, we will move to the second position. But to get there, we must invest massively in AI research, infrastructure, and computing power.
We are launching ‘AI for All’, with IIT Madras providing the content that will be delivered to every engineering college covering teachers, students, and staff alike. We are building deeper collaborations between universities, startups, and industries, encouraging innovation at scale, and creating an AI ecosystem where education policy and enterprise converge.
Ultimately, AI is only as good as the quality of the data it learns from. As late entrants, we must improve our data quality, but we are determined to do so. The speed of AI is astonishing—what once took 10 to 15 years of training under a guru can now be learned in 15 seconds. Music, art, poetry—skills once thought to be inherited or earned through decades of effort—are now at the fingertips of anyone with AI. AI has become a poet, a magician, and an artist. Whether we like it or not, AI is here and it is here to stay.
AI is an Experience
When I began my research at the Indian Institute of Science, I didn’t have any equipment. Yet, we were able to publish in top-notch journals. That experience taught me an important lesson: progress is not about infrastructure or money. It is about brainpower. And in brainpower, India is undoubtedly superior to the rest of the world. True, we suffered decades of brain drain. Our talent and our data went abroad. But they will return one day, if not physically, then at least in spirit—by proudly saying, “We are Indian. We achieved this.” Already, 200 of the Fortune 500 companies are led by Indian-origin CEOs. That says it all.
Take the Maha Kumbh, for instance. It is not just an event, it is an experience. AI today feels very similar: we are all part of this voyage. People say AI is a journey from the US to India. But I tell them no, because the very scientists and engineers who built that AI ecosystem in the West are Indians. They succeeded there because they had access to resources and money. In 10 years, I see AI as the fruit of predominantly Indian efforts. Look at the companies shaping the world today—Microsoft, Google, OpenAI—their leaders and technocrats are Indians. I have met many of them personally. They are the Indian diaspora.
Change the Narrative
Even within India, we must change the narrative. If you ask professors at IITs where they studied, they will say, “M.Tech from IIT Madras, Ph.D. from Harvard, Postdoc from Cornell.” But ask again, “Where did you graduate?”andmost will admit that they graduated from one of our so-called ‘second- or third-tier’ engineering colleges. 90% of them. We ourselves downgrade those colleges. The truth is, they are no longer second or third grade. They are producing some of the best engineers in the world. The narrative that only IITs produce excellence must change. I say this with no disrespect to IITs, but with pride in the strength of the broader system.
AI also plays a crucial role in sustainable development, balancing technological advancement with ethical responsibility. Its socio-economic impact is immense. It can widen divides if misused, but it also has the power to bridge them. Take toll collection on highways. Automation has returned massive revenues for building better infrastructure. UPI powered systems have allowed us to track and count transactions with clarity we never had before.
Recently, AICTE, NITI Aayog, and MSME joined hands to drive AI-led transformation in micro, small, and medium enterprises. Pilot programs with six companies have already shown results. The initiative, called Dx EDGE, will now be launched nationwide. And who will support this transformation? Our engineering and diploma students, who will work on AI tools developed with CII. With nearly seven crore MSMEs in India, this effort has the potential to create more opportunities than higher education itself. If every enterprise can integrate AI, every student skilled in this technology can find meaningful work.
The conclusion is clear: AI is here. It has already penetrated every domain of human life. Whether we like it or not, we are using it every day. Humanity must learn not only to adapt to AI but to adopt it fully and consciously. There is no alternative. The only questions are: how quickly can we embrace it, and how many people can we bring along on this journey? The Road Ahead 2.0 requires us to move forward with conscious intent, ethical grounding, and collaborative spirit. That is the only way to harness AI for humanity’s progress.
Dr. S. Vaidhyasubramaniam: I am reminded of Professor Clayton Christensen, who often spoke about disruptive technologies and disruption. This is not new to the world. Even Socrates once argued that if people began writing, they would lose their brain power. Later, some Victorians believed that inventions like the telephone and telegraph would create social isolation.
Throughout history, every major shift has been met with such concerns. During industrialisation, people feared that machines would take away jobs. Later, the software and IT industry was expected to displace millions of workers. Then came robotics and automation and again the fear of job loss. Yet, what we witnessed was very different: greater productivity, significant economic growth, and, in fact, the creation of vast new employment opportunities.
More than AI education, it is ‘AI in education’ that is going to transform how people assimilate knowledge in multiple forms. This will have a direct impact on the economy. If we look back historically, global GDP growth was almost flat until the 17th century. After the Industrial Revolution, it rose slowly—around 0.8 to 1% for a century. Later, it climbed to 1.8%. In the last century, it touched 2.8%. But now, many studies indicate that the rate at which AI will enhance workforce productivity could push GDP growth to 10–11%, even if 20% of the workforce is displaced.
One thing is certain: on the economic front, AI is going to unleash massive growth in activity. The twin dimensions of education and economic activity will define this future. And for that reason, we cannot afford to wait. We must hurry to worry, and start our serious work on AI today.
Lakshmi Narayanan: A good starting point is the Gini Coefficient, which measures inequality. Historically, every major technological advancement initially widened inequality, as access was limited to the wealthy. But India’s story has been different. Our Gini index today stands at around 0.25—fourth best in the world, showing lower inequality than many Western nations. This improvement is largely due to technology being made accessible to all, through Aadhaar, UPI, toll systems, and other innovations that reach the entire population.
When it comes to AI in education, I want to highlight the role of coaching. Bill Campbell, famously called the ‘Trillion Dollar Coach’, mentored leaders like Steve Jobs, Sundar Pichai, and Jeff Bezos. His philosophy was simple: everyone needs a coach—executives, teachers, and students alike. In schools, where one teacher handles 60–70 students, research shows tutoring can boost performance by two standard deviations. AI now makes such personalised tutoring possible. Khan Academy’s Khanmigo is a great example, offering AI tutors for both students and teachers.
Of course, there is a fear that open-book exams or ChatGPT will encourage cheating. But experiments, even at Harvard, have shown something interesting: when students were given a monitored, university-created AI sandbox, only 5% used it. But outside, in the open environment, usage was as high as 90%. Students are smart. They prefer freedom and authenticity in learning.
The lesson is clear: education must move from regulation to facilitation. As the authors say, faculty should shift from being the ‘sage on the stage’ to the ‘guide on the side.’ Learning thrives when restrictions are fewer and curiosity is encouraged. And that is where AI in education has immense promise—to personalise, liberate, and democratise knowledge for all.
Dr. S. Vaidhyasubramaniam: I have always believed that AI is not a substitute for faculty but it is certainly a substitute for bad faculty. The real difference now lies between a teacher who understands AI and one who does not. The challenge before us is: how do we bridge that gap and help every faculty member embrace AI?
Lakshmi Narayanan: On the broader impact of AI across education, social, and corporate sectors, one simple framework helps: imagine a skills vs. replaceability diagram. If your skill can easily be replaced by AI, your job is at risk.
For teachers, take the Bernoulli principle as an example. Using ChatGPT, students can instantly access countless explanations and illustrations. The real challenge is not in answering existing questions, but in framing new ones. As Arvind Srinivasan of Perplexity said, “We have answers to all the questions we have asked, but not to the questions we have never asked.” That is where research becomes critical.
At KREA, for instance, while 50% of the curriculum is standard, the other 50% is research-informed, creating new knowledge. AI helps both faculty and students generate fresh content and frame original questions. In that way, it liberates the entire learning process.
Q&A Session (moderated byDr. S. Vaidhyasubramaniam)
Q: Which of the pillars of education will undergo the most dramatic change because of AI?
Yogi Kochhar: I would say this is not just a paradigm shift but a tectonic shift. The tsunami has already begun, and we must brace ourselves. By next year, we may not have enough jobs. In fact, we could see a 40% cut.
Let me explain the arithmetic. India is a $4 trillion economy, growing at about 7% annually. That means next year we will add around $280 billion to the economy. Now, 90% of that will go into physical assets—cement, steel, construction, FMCG, white goods, airports, highways, and so on. Only 10%—around $28 billion will remain for jobs.
Out of that, $14 billion will go toward those already employed—for increments, pensions, and benefits. That leaves just $14 billion for fresh graduates. Every year, 10 million students enter the job market. Divide $14 billion among them, and it comes to about $1,400 per graduate—less than what an auto rickshaw driver earns in a year. This is the stark reality. The only way out is innovation—developing the art of thinking and metacognition. That is where education, supported by AI, must transform our graduates from job seekers into creators and innovators.
Q: How is AI going to change the way innovation and entrepreneurship are triggered and accelerated?
Lakshmi Narayanan: In invention, there are three stages—invention, innovation, and diffusion. Invention is the creation of new knowledge and paradigms through fundamental research. Innovation is the application of that knowledge into products and services that serve humanity. Diffusion is when industries take those innovations and scale them to reach people everywhere.
If the share of resources devoted to invention increases, as we see in fields like space and aviation, communication technology, life sciences, and computational biology, then these areas will be ripe for rapid growth. AI can fuel this process and even enable a generation of solopreneurs working at the intersection of disciplines. Take Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai’s attempt to 3D-print a BrahMos missile. That’s innovation at scale. Or consider Agnikul, the IIT Madras startup that made history in private space technology. Imagine such breakthroughs applied across other domains—the ripple effects could be immense. This cross-boundary application of ideas is where AI will accelerate innovation, creating opportunities and, hopefully, generating far more jobs than the ones we fear losing.
T G Sitharam: AICTE has launched an out-of-the-box initiative called the Productisation Fellowship. This fellowship is designed for students who participate in Smart India Hackathon. For the winners, we provide full financial support for one year so that they can take their ideas forward and develop them into real products.
Normally, what happens is that as soon as students receive attractive placement offers, they split and join different companies, leaving their innovations behind. To prevent this, we now pay each team member a stipend of about ₹30,000 per month, for a full year, for up to four members in a team. This way, a large number of students are choosing to continue their projects, staying together to transform their ideas into impactful products.
Q: Do you think we are doing enough on our AI policy?
Lakshmi Narayanan: Globally, innovation thrives where there are fewer restrictions and lighter regulations. In India too, private universities—thanks to the new private university bills—operate with far less regulation and are performing well. We are slowly moving from a license-raj mindset to a freer, innovation-driven economy, but the pace is too slow. What we need now is a jump-start—something on the scale of the 1991 reforms—so that AI policy and innovation can truly take off.
Q: Does India have an edge in shaping a people-centric AI that perhaps the West may not?
Yogi Kochhar: Yes. India’s strength lies in people-centricity. We have hundreds of dialects, languages, and cultural nuances that large language models (LLMs) struggle to capture. That’s why I believe India’s opportunity lies more in small language models (SLMs) tailored to our diversity.
But there are challenges. On infrastructure, India is far behind. Our total power capacity is about 430 gigawatts—what China adds in just a month. They stand at 3,500 gigawatts while we barely remain self-sufficient. On GPUs, we have only about 30,000 which is insignificant compared to global numbers. The National Compute Mission has just 32 petaflops. Data quality is another concern.
When Facebook entered India, they saw us as grass-eaters. We became the cow. They fed us grass, milked us dry, took the milk abroad, turned it into cheese, and sold it back to us. That’s a lesson: we cannot afford to repeat this with AI. The U.S. has an AI roadmap. Saudi Arabia has one. India still does not. We need urgent clarity and direction. The opportunity is vast, but we must seize it.
Lakshmi Narayanan: On people-centric AI, let me add that true well-being is not about wealth or power. Long-term studies of separated twins show that happiness levels converge regardless of upbringing. Ultimately, happiness rests on things like faith, family, friends, and meaningful work. AI should enhance these, not replace them.
T G Sitharam: There is no need to be pessimistic. This is India’s golden moment. The National Education Policy already promotes self-learning, peer learning, experiential learning, and collaboration beyond the classroom. Remember, when computers first arrived in India, there were strikes in Bangalore, Chennai and other places. Yet within 12 years, India became the global leader in IT services. We will embrace AI in the same way and we will succeed.
(3500 words)
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