India rises to third place in global AI rankings: Report

India has emerged as a leading contender in the global artificial intelligence landscape, climbing to third place in Stanford University’s 2025 Global AI Vibrancy rankings.

This marks a remarkable rise from seventh place just a year ago, highlighting the country’s accelerating progress in AI innovation, talent cultivation, and policy implementation.

With a score of 21.59, India now trails only the United States (78.6) and China (36.95), signaling its growing prominence among advanced and emerging economies alike.

The Stanford Global AI Vibrancy Tool ranks countries on the activity and competitiveness of their AI ecosystems, evaluating performance across seven pillars: research, talent, economy, policy, infrastructure, responsible AI, and public opinion.

India’s leap past nations such as South Korea and the United Kingdom underscores the success of its combined efforts in policy, startup growth, and talent development.

Observers attribute India’s rise to a set of “renewed major initiatives” aimed at strengthening the country’s AI ecosystem.

These initiatives have expanded research output, increased AI-related economic activity, bolstered infrastructure, and established coherent policy frameworks.

The country’s fast-growing startup and enterprise ecosystem applies AI across sectors, including finance, healthcare, education, and logistics.

Large digital markets and active firms make India one of the most competitive AI economies among emerging markets.

India has also positioned itself as a global powerhouse for AI talent. It recorded the world’s highest year-on-year growth in AI hiring, became the second-largest contributor to AI-related GitHub projects in 2024, and ranks near the top globally in AI skill penetration, reflecting the strength of its engineering workforce.

In research and innovation, India is showing significant progress. While still behind the US and China in absolute output, AI publications and patenting are rising steadily.

Academic-industry collaborations are accelerating, and India is increasingly seen as a strategic hub for AI R&D.

A central factor in this advancement is the IndiaAI Mission, approved by the Union Cabinet with a budget of approximately ₹10,300–10,372 crore (USD 1.25 billion) over five years.

Key components include deploying over 10,000 GPUs for computing capacity, developing a national non-personal data platform, and creating a framework for “safe and trusted” AI.

These measures have directly strengthened India’s standing in policy, governance, and infrastructure pillars.

Analysts note remaining challenges, such as the need for cutting-edge AI research, globally visible foundational models, high-value private investment comparable to the US and China, improved data quality and advanced R&D capacity, and expanded access to responsible AI beyond urban centers.

India’s third-place ranking positions it as a top AI competitor and the leading AI power among lower- and middle-income countries.

Experts suggest that sustained investment in infrastructure, research, innovation, and ethical governance could accelerate India’s AI growth trajectory over the next decade, potentially narrowing the gap with global leaders.