Soumitra Dutta and the data behind India’s global AI standing

The much-talked about AI India Summit, in New Delhi, brought together more than 20 heads of state, around 60 international ministers, and over 500 CEOs, CTOs and leading researchers. “India is an ideal hub for AI transformation,” said Rishi Sunak, former UK prime minister, at the summit. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said the event showcased the extraordinary potential of India’s AI talent and innovation.

The summit inspires a question, where does India rank globally in terms of AI metrics?

Soumitra Dutta, Oxford Dean (Former) and the National Readiness Index

Part of the answer comes from the National Readiness Index 2025, which was released in early February, in Dubai. The NRI is a global benchmark that serves “as a vital framework for evaluating a country's preparedness to adopt digital technologies”. It assesses around 130 countries annually on: Technology, People, Governance and Impact.

The NRI is published by the Portulans Institute, in Washington DC, which has been co-founded by Soumitra Dutta. Dutta is among the world’s leading global thought leaders on AI and digital technologies. The Chandigarh-born alumnus of IIT-Delhi holds a PhD in computer science and artificial intelligence from the University of California, Berkeley. He has helmed prestigious business schools: he was the founding dean of SC Jonhson College of Business at Cornell University, in the US, and from 2022 to 2025, Dutta was the dean at Oxford Said Business School, in the UK. Dutta, who’s also a prolific author and entrepreneur, has also spent around 23 years of his career as an academic at INSEAD, in France, another elite B-school.

India’s performance in the NRI 2025

Soumitra Dutta Oxford Dean (Former) and his team titled the NRI 2025 "AI Governance in a Global Context". India climbed 4 spots, and was ranked 45th. India performed well on several parameters. The country ranks first globally in AI scientific publications. India also leads the world in ICT services exports and in annual telecom investment – evidence of its services strength and reflection that it has built the infrastructure backbone necessary for AI deployment. The country also topped the e-commerce legislation metric. India also secured the second spot globally for Fibre-to-the-home/building internet subscriptions and international bandwidth, and for mobile broadband internet traffic. India is also performing higher than what its income level would predict, according to the report.

“Countries like China (24th), Vietnam (40th), India (45th), and the Philippines (66th) are punching far above their weight class, proving that national policy and institutional capacity can leapfrog traditional economic barriers,” says Soumitra Dutta.