India, UK Need To Work Together On AI: Goyal

With the announcement of the resumption of free trade agreement talks, there is a huge amount of positivity and momentum in the economic relationship right now

New Delhi: India and the UK have the potential to further collaborate in the fields like artificial intelligence (AI), tele-medicine, climate modelling and agri-tech to improve the lives of millions of people in both the countries, Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, said on Wednesday. Addressing an event by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) in the national capital, the minister highlighted range of areas where the bilateral partnership can drive not just economic growth and prosperity but also improve the lives of people in the UK, India and across the world.

“AI and virtual reality collaboration can transform education and training. A tele-medicine partnership can bring down the cost of healthcare in the UK and make quality healthcare available to the remotest parts of India,” the commerce minister told the gathering.

The two countries can also work together to develop climate modelling tools to help the world better predict and manage natural disasters, he added.

The minister also highlighted the importance of agri-tech, including the use of precision farming tools and residue free farming to enhance productivity. The UKIBC also launched the ‘UK-India Technology Futures Report’ which showcased groundbreaking India-UK technology partnerships that are creating not just jobs and economic growth in both countries but also transforming the way we live and, importantly, addressing global challenges such as climate change and energy transition, food security, financial inclusion, and national security. “We at the UKIBC believe that the technology partnerships between India and the UK underpin our shared prosperity and are a force for global good,” said Richard McCallum, Chief Operating Officer, UKIBC.

With the recently signed Technology Security Initiative (TSI) and the announcement of the resumption of free trade agreement (FTA) talks, there is a huge amount of positivity and momentum in the economic relationship right now. “It is good to see the intent from both governments to strengthen the existing India-UK Technology Partnership to tackle global challenges, including through the development and deployment of emerging technologies,” McCallum added.

The UK is a natural partner for India’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the report emphasised, making a series of recommendations to create deeper UK-India cooperation across areas such as financial inclusion, energy transition, advanced technologies and R&D.