India's AI Future: Ethics and Innovation Converge at UNESCO-MeitY Hyderabad Meet

The AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) is a strategic framework developed by UNESCO to help countries evaluate and enhance their preparedness for deploying AI responsibly.

As the world accelerates toward an AI-driven future, India is taking decisive steps to ensure that its AI journey is not only ambitious and innovative but also rooted in ethics, inclusion, and accountability. This vision was brought to life on 8 April 2025, during the third regional consultation for the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in Hyderabad, Telangana. Jointly organized by UNESCO and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), this landmark event marks a pivotal moment in India’s drive to build an AI ecosystem that reflects the country’s values and serves its diverse population.

Understanding RAM: A Blueprint for Responsible AI

The AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) is a strategic framework developed by UNESCO to help countries evaluate and enhance their preparedness for deploying AI responsibly. RAM considers a wide spectrum of factors—governance structures, ethical considerations, human capacity, infrastructure, and real-world use cases. In India, RAM is serving as a foundational tool for creating a national AI policy that is not only future-forward but also contextually relevant.

The Hyderabad consultation was the third in a series of five, following successful engagements in New Delhi and Bengaluru. These consultations are designed to bring together stakeholders from across government, academia, civil society, industry, and multilateral agencies to shape an AI ecosystem that is ethical, inclusive, and globally competitive.

Setting the Tone: Ethics as the Bedrock of Innovation

The event opened with compelling remarks by Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary for Industries and IT, Government of Telangana, and Mr. Tim Curtis, Director and UNESCO Representative for South Asia. Both speakers emphasized the urgent need to embed ethics by design in AI systems, especially as India scales its technological capabilities.

Shri Ranjan spoke about Telangana’s strategic partnership with UNESCO, which was formalized in August 2023 through a Letter of Intent. This collaboration aims to promote ethical AI development in Telangana through initiatives focused on capacity building, awareness creation, and contributions to UNESCO’s Global Observatory on AI Ethics.

“Telangana’s AI Strategy and Implementation Roadmap, launched in 2024, is our blueprint for responsible innovation,” said Ranjan. “We are focused on AI skilling, enabling startups, and building procurement models that ensure benefits reach all corners of society.”

Mr. Curtis echoed these sentiments, stressing that ethical considerations must permeate every stage of the AI lifecycle, from data sourcing to algorithm design to deployment. He reiterated UNESCO’s commitment to supporting India in this journey, noting that the RAM methodology is a powerful tool for embedding ethics into national AI strategies.

Fireside Chat: Democratizing AI for 700 Million People

A key highlight of the day was a thought-provoking fireside chat featuring Shri Abhishek Singh, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission and Additional Secretary at MeitY, in conversation with Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory.

“If we can democratize access to AI tools in local languages, we can uplift 700 million people who are currently stuck at the bottom of the economic pyramid,” said Singh. “Empowering them through AI could significantly boost India’s productivity and inclusive growth.”

He outlined India’s vision to build foundational models tailored to Indian needs, and stressed the importance of international cooperation to develop globally aligned but locally implementable governance frameworks. Singh’s remarks reinforced India’s aspiration to lead not only in AI innovation, but also in ethical AI governance.

Power Panel: Women Leading the Way in AI Ethics

Next on the agenda was a powerful panel discussion titled “Shaping Ethics in AI Governance: Government and Multilateral Perspectives.” Moderated with nuance and depth, the panel brought together distinguished voices:

• Ms. Kavita Bhatia, COO of IndiaAI Mission

• Dr. Preeti Banzal, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India

• Dr. Krishnashree Achuthan, Dean, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

• Ms. Rama Devi Lanka, Director, Emerging Technologies, Government of Telangana

• Dr. James Wright, Programme Specialist, UNESCO

The conversation emphasized the need for a hybrid governance model—centralized in vision, decentralized in implementation. Ms. Bhatia noted that India’s approach to AI governance integrates global best practices while customizing them for local deployment across states and sectors.

“We need both top-down policies and bottom-up implementation,” she said. “This is how we ensure scalability while maintaining contextual relevance, especially for the Global South.”

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Deep Dives: Breakout Sessions on Core AI Readiness Themes

One of the defining features of the Hyderabad consultation was its interactive structure. Participants engaged in breakout group discussions across four key themes:

1. Governance: How to design regulatory frameworks that ensure ethical AI across public and private sectors.

2. Workforce Readiness: Strategies to build capacity at all levels—from engineers and developers to civil servants and citizens.

3. Infrastructure: Identifying gaps and solutions in digital, policy, and ethical infrastructure needed for AI.

4. Use Cases: Exploring real-world applications of AI in health, education, agriculture, finance, and governance, with ethics front and center.

Each group provided actionable insights and recommendations that will directly inform the upcoming India RAM Report. This nationwide report is expected to serve as a roadmap for policy, implementation, and international engagement on ethical AI.

What Lies Ahead?

With three successful consultations completed, and two more on the horizon, the RAM initiative is gaining powerful traction. The findings from all five consultations will converge into a comprehensive India-specific AI Readiness Report, expected later in 2025.

This report will not only spotlight India’s unique strengths—such as its multilingual population, vibrant startup ecosystem, and robust digital public infrastructure—but also chart a course for responsible, inclusive, and accountable AI adoption.

India stands at a pivotal crossroads in its AI journey. Through initiatives like RAM, supported by international collaboration and grassroots engagement, the country is demonstrating that ethical AI is not an afterthought—but a foundation for progress.