Editor’s Note
This article highlights India’s significant progress in the UN’s Frontier Technologies Readiness Index, underscoring a broader trend of emerging economies advancing in technological preparedness. It serves as a timely reminder of the global shift in innovation hubs and the imperative for all nations to build resilience in the face of rapid technological change.
News Desk, Amar Ujala, New Delhi
Published by: Nitin Gautam
Updated: Friday, 04 April 2025, 10:20 AM IST
A United Nations report highlights that Brazil, China, India, and the Philippines have shown outstanding performance in readiness for technology. The report states that developing countries need to be prepared for rapidly changing technology and AI.
The United Nations has released a global ranking of countries’ readiness to adopt frontier technologies. India has secured a place among the top countries in this ranking, which includes 170 nations, with India positioned at 36th place. According to the UN report, India’s ranking has improved compared to previous years. This ranking is part of the Technology and Innovation Report 2025, released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The ranking includes countries that demonstrate readiness to adopt new and significant technologies.
In the 2022 report, India was ranked 48th, and this time it has reached 36th, clearly indicating progress in this area. The ranking considered indicators such as ICT deployment, skills, research and development activities, industrial capacity, and access to finance.
India’s rankings across specific indicators are as follows:
– ICT Deployment: 99th
– Skills: 113th
– Research and Development: 3rd
– Industrial Capacity: 10th
– Access to Finance: 70th
India, along with Bhutan, Morocco, the Republic of Moldova, and Timor-Leste, has also shown improvement in human resource rankings.
The UN report notes that Brazil, China, India, and the Philippines have performed brilliantly in demonstrating readiness for technology.
According to the UN report, China, Germany, India, the UK, and the US have demonstrated their scientific strength in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In terms of AI investment, the US leads, having invested $67 billion in AI in 2023, which is 70% of the global investment in the AI sector. China follows with $7.8 billion invested in AI, securing the second position. India, with an investment of $1.4 billion, ranks 10th in this regard.
The report states that by 2033, the global AI market will be worth $4.8 trillion and will play a crucial role in digital transformation. However, dominance in this field is currently limited to a few countries. There are 100 major companies working in the AI field, most of which are in the US and China. These two countries account for 40% of the total spending on AI research and development globally.
AI could potentially affect 40% of jobs worldwide. However, new industries may emerge from AI, which could also benefit employees. According to the report, India has a large talent pool, with approximately 13 million developers currently in India and 4 million in Brazil.