India Emerges as World’s Third Most Competitive AI Power

New Delhi: India has emerged as the world’s third most competitive nation in artificial intelligence, according to Stanford University’s Global AI Vibrancy Tool released on Sunday.

The latest ranking underscores India’s growing influence in the global AI race, driven by a rapidly expanding technology ecosystem and a strong base of skilled talent.

A Visual Capitalist chart based on Stanford’s data places the United States firmly at the top with an AI vibrancy score of 78.6, followed by China at 36.95. India ranks third with a score of 21.59, ahead of several advanced economies including South Korea, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Germany and France.

Stanford’s AI Vibrancy Tool aggregates multiple indicators into a single score to assess the maturity and competitiveness of a country’s AI ecosystem. These indicators include research and development, talent availability, investment and economic impact, infrastructure, public opinion, and policy and governance.

The tool aims to identify where AI innovation and talent are expanding and to what extent governments are supporting artificial intelligence initiatives.

The data also highlights the role of income levels in AI competitiveness. High-income countries continue to dominate the top rankings, while upper-middle-income nations such as China and Brazil are steadily narrowing the gap.

India stands out among lower-middle-income countries as the only nation to rank so high globally, underscoring its unique position in the AI landscape.

In category-wise performance, the United States leads in research and development, responsible AI, economy, policy and governance, and infrastructure. China performs strongly in talent, economy and infrastructure, while India ranks among the top three globally in talent, reflecting its vast and skilled workforce in technology and engineering.

The report also raises a broader concern that the widening gap in AI competitiveness could deepen global inequality if access to AI-driven growth remains uneven.

For India, however, the ranking is a significant boost, reflecting rising investments in AI, growing research output, a vibrant startup ecosystem, and a massive pool of engineers and developers.

—With inputs from IANS