Global AI race: India emerges as a powerhouse, takes third spot in Stanford ranking

India has climbed to the third position globally in artificial intelligence competitiveness, underscoring the country’s rapid rise as a major force in the AI ecosystem, according to a new report by Stanford University. 

The ranking, based on Stanford’s Global AI Vibrancy Tool and visualised through a Visual Capitalist chart, places India behind only the United States and China. India scored 21.59 on the index, compared to 78.6 for the US and 36.95 for China. 

While India’s position highlights significant progress, the wide gap in scores also shows that the country still has considerable ground to cover before it can match the scale and depth of AI leadership enjoyed by the US and China. Nonetheless, India’s score is well ahead of several advanced economies, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Germany. 

The findings reinforce the idea that India is no longer a peripheral player in AI, but a central contender shaping the next phase of global technological competition. 

Stanford’s Global AI Vibrancy Tool evaluates countries across multiple dimensions, including talent availability, research and development, private and public investment, public policy and perception, infrastructure, and overall economic impact. 

According to the report, India’s strong performance is driven by its expanding tech ecosystem, increased investments, and a rapidly growing pool of skilled professionals in AI and related fields. 

Big Tech bets reinforce India’s momentum 

The report comes at a time when global technology giants are doubling down on India as a key AI and digital infrastructure hub. Amazon recently announced an investment commitment of $35 billion by 2030, targeting AI, logistics and cloud computing infrastructure. Microsoft, meanwhile, has pledged $17.5 billion for cloud and AI expansion in India, marking its largest investment in Asia. 

Earlier announcements from companies such as Intel, Cognizant and OpenAI around investments and collaborations have further strengthened India’s position as a preferred destination for AI development, alongside the US and China.