Projects
Technology and Society
About the Project

This program focuses on five sets of imperatives:

  1. Data: on all issues related to data governance, privacy, cross-border data flows, and data access.
  2. Strategic Technologies: on industrial policy around India’s emerging semiconductor eco-system, space policy, export controls, new and transformative defense technologies, and their effects.
  3. Emerging Technologies: on biosafety and security, practices and efforts to shape distinct artificial intelligence (AI) regulatory practices, models of accessing AI compute, and the emerging global imperatives on the military applications of AI. 
  4. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): on (i) shaping outcomes on DPI principles (ii) providing practical roadmaps for alternative ways to build DPI rapidly (iii) DPI at the centre of inter-state dialogues (iv) working with DPI builders, architects, and implementers.
  5. Strategic Partnerships: on the India-U.S. initiative on Critical & Emerging Technology (iCET) with ideas, convenings, and practical research. We are starting work on supporting the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC).

The Technology and Society Program at Carnegie India is supported by Tata Trusts, Mohandas Pai, Nilekani Philanthropies, Meta India, Google India, Salesforce India, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Biocon, Syngene, Intel India, Amazon India, Microsoft India, SAP India, AWS India, WhatsApp India, BillDesk, Qualcomm India, Walmart India, LinkedIn India, and the National Payments Corporation of India. The Global Technology Summit is also supported by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

Our team

Rudra Chaudhuri

Director, Carnegie India

Rudra Chaudhuri is the director of Carnegie India. His research focuses on the diplomatic history of South Asia, contemporary security issues, and the important role of emerging technologies and digital public infrastructure in diplomacy, statecraft, and development. He and his team at Carnegie India chair and convene the Global Technology Summit, co-hosted with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

Shruti Sharma

Fellow and Chief Coordinator, Global Technology Summit, Technology and Society Program

Shruti Sharma is a fellow with the Technology and Society Program at Carnegie India, where she is currently working on exploring the challenges and opportunities in leveraging biotechnology to improve public health capacity in India.

Konark Bhandari

Fellow, Technology and Society Program

Konark Bhandari is a fellow with Carnegie India.

Tejas Bharadwaj

Senior Research Analyst, Technology and Society Program

Tejas Bharadwaj is a senior research analyst in the Technology and Society Program in Carnegie India.

Amlan Mohanty

Nonresident Research Fellow, Technology and Society Program

Amlan Mohanty is a nonresident research fellow with Carnegie India. His areas of expertise include privacy, content policy, platform regulation, competition and AI.

Shatakratu Sahu

Senior Research Analyst and Senior Program Manager, Technology and Society Program

Shatakratu Sahu is a senior research analyst and senior program manager with the Technology and Society program at Carnegie India.

Ajay Kumar

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Technology and Society Program

Ajay Kumar is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. He served as the defense secretary of India between August 2019 and October 2022 and is the longest serving secretary in Ministry of Defence, where he also served as secretary in the Department of Defence Production. 

Arun K. Singh

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie India

Arun K. Singh is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. He has extensive experience across the globe, including as India’s ambassador to the United States, Israel, and France.

R. K. Misra

Nonresident Scholar, Technology and Society Program

R. K. Misra is a nonresident scholar at Carnegie India. Based in Bengaluru, he drives Carnegie India’s Technology and Society program, and engages with technology innovators and policymakers.

Anirudh Suri

Nonresident Scholar, Technology and Society Program

Anirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs.

Susmita Mohanty

Nonresident Scholar, Technology and Society Program

Susmita Mohanty is a nonresident scholar at Carnegie India. She is the director general of Spaceport SARABHAI, a ‘space’ think tank.

Global Technology Summit

The Global Technology Summit—Carnegie India’s annual flagship event, co-hosted with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India—brings together industry experts, policymakers, scientists, and other stakeholders from all over the world to deliberate on the changing nature of technology and geopolitics. Its aim is to create a new framework of engagement that addresses concerns of all stakeholders without hindering technological progress and innovation.

Global Technology Summit

The Global Technology Summit—Carnegie India’s annual flagship event, co-hosted with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India—brings together industry experts, policymakers, scientists, and other stakeholders from all over the world to deliberate on the changing nature of technology and geopolitics. Its aim is to create a new framework of engagement that addresses concerns of all stakeholders without hindering technological progress and innovation.

collection
India-U.S. Emerging Technologies Working Group

At the end of January 2023, India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and the U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan officially launched the United States-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). The Carnegie India Working Group studies, analyzes, and makes policy-relevant interventions in the various priority areas under the iCET. These include uncovering and recovering avenues for cooperation on semiconductors, civilian space technologies, defense innovation, bioeconomy, and quantum computing as well as the overall deepening of ties pertaining to science and technology. The working group is made up of experts within Carnegie India.

see the collection
collection
India-U.S. Emerging Technologies Working Group

At the end of January 2023, India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and the U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan officially launched the United States-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). The Carnegie India Working Group studies, analyzes, and makes policy-relevant interventions in the various priority areas under the iCET. These include uncovering and recovering avenues for cooperation on semiconductors, civilian space technologies, defense innovation, bioeconomy, and quantum computing as well as the overall deepening of ties pertaining to science and technology. The working group is made up of experts within Carnegie India.

see the collection

All work from Technology and Society

278 Results
In The Media
in the media
Jagran Editorial: Innovation is the Engine of the New Economy, More Important than Financial Resources

In Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, 30% of the country's startups are active, generating over five lakh jobs annually. Most of these ventures began with modest capital of just a few lakh rupees. The conclusion is clear: while capital is extremely important for entrepreneurship, innovation is the true engine of the new economy. Today, capital follows innovation.

· January 7, 2025
Dainik Jagran
Source: iStock
commentary
What’s Next for U.S. AI Policy?

This commentary explores the likely actions of the Trump administration and driving forces on issues of deregulation, the United States’ leadership in AI, national security, and global engagements on AI safety.

· December 18, 2024
In The Media
in the media
Clearing the Way for Air Taxis: India Needs Second-Generation Drone Reforms

With drone technology breaking new ground, air taxis are poised to revolutionize urban mobility, offering a promising solution to the crippling traffic congestion that plagues many cities.

· December 14, 2024
Business Standard
In The Media
in the media
How India-Australia Partnership can be a Gamechanger in Critical Mineral Supply Chains?

The India-Australia partnership is poised to reshape the critical minerals supply chain, challenging China’s dominance.

· November 29, 2024
Australia India Institute
In The Media
in the media
India Must Showcase Its Tech Strengths as Trump Era Looms

Donald Trump is within weeks of taking over the White House for his second presidency. In this Gist interview, Anirudh Suri, non-resident scholar at Carnegie India, argues that India needs to keep a close eye on his approach to technology.

· November 24, 2024
StratNews Global
Source: iStock
paper
India’s Advance on AI Regulation

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of AI regulation in India by examining perspectives across government, industry, and civil society stakeholders. It evaluates the current regulatory state and proposes a policy roadmap forward. Does India need new AI regulations? What should they look like? Who is driving this debate in India and what are their views?

· November 21, 2024
In The Media
in the media
What Does Trump 2.0 Mean for India's AI Strategy and Global Tech Landscape?

Donald Trump's potential return to the White House could significantly impact India's technological ambitions. His anticipated techno-nationalist policies, including restricted access to AI innovation and intensified competition, necessitate India's strategic positioning as a key player in the global AI landscape.

· November 17, 2024
The Economics Times
research
A Tech Policy Planning Guide for India—Beyond the First 100 Days

This compendium provides an independent look at how to get the most out of India’s current technology ecosystem, and the measures that may need to be adopted or re-considered in order to build a lasting and enduring framework for policy changes in the select areas under the current administration.

In The Media
in the media
Reaching New Heights of Policy Success

Effective policy-making in India grapples with a complex web of challenges, yet with digital tools now available, greater transparency with India’s digital platforms can amplify.

· November 7, 2024
Business Standard
In The Media
in the media
Winning the AI Race with Research Talent

Much of the top talent in Silicon Valley is of Indian origin. India must bring at least some of them back and provide necessary research ecosystem to flourish.

· November 3, 2024
Hindustan Times