Jitin Prasada MoS, Government of India, Commerce & Industry with Karsten Wildberger

Germany's Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation, Karsten Wildberger, has enthusiastically endorsed the newly signed India-Germany AI Pact, describing it as a catalyst for accelerated collaboration in the burgeoning technological partnership between the two nations.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Friday, Wildberger expressed that he was departing the event feeling invigorated by the scale and depth of discussions.

He congratulated India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for organising what he called a "fantastic event," highlighting that the topics covered—safety, accessibility, and openness in AI—were precisely on point.

The pact itself was formalised on Wednesday during the summit, in the presence of India's Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Wildberger.

This flagship initiative aims to transform ongoing dialogues into tangible, implementation-focused bilateral cooperation across government, industry, research, skill development, and innovation.

Wildberger underscored the profound existing relationship between India and Germany, noting shared talents and values that position India as an ideal partner for deeper digital and AI ties.

Both countries align on critical priorities such as openness and safety in AI development, while emphasising technological sovereignty and the necessity for alternatives within the global AI landscape.

"We may also need alternatives. Sovereignty plays a crucial role," Wildberger stated, advocating for nations to unite in developing leading-edge technologies.

The India AI Impact Summit gathered policymakers, industry leaders, and technology experts worldwide to discuss responsible AI advancement, international cooperation, and growth driven by innovation.

This pact builds on the strong bilateral framework, promising practical advancements in AI that could reshape defence, aerospace, and strategic sectors where India seeks indigenous capabilities.

For India, with its focus on self-reliance in defence technologies, such partnerships offer avenues for AI integration in missile systems, UAVs, and space missions like those from ISRO.

Germany's expertise in precision engineering complements India's manufacturing push under initiatives like Make in India, potentially accelerating joint ventures in high-tech domains. The emphasis on sovereignty resonates with India's geopolitical stance, ensuring collaborative AI development avoids over-dependence on dominant global players.

Wildberger's optimism signals a strategic alignment that could extend to defence analytics, where AI enhances data processing for threat assessment and simulation.

As both nations prioritise ethical AI, this pact positions them to lead in creating secure, open ecosystems amid rising global competition. Future collaborations may include skill exchanges, vital for India's workforce in aerospace and defence, drawing from Germany's advanced training models.

The summit's success underscores India's rising stature in global AI discourse, fostering ties that bolster its strategic autonomy.

ANI