During her visit to San Francisco, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with prominent business leaders to discuss opportunities for bilateral cooperation and investments. Held in the heart of the tech industry, this meeting aimed to strengthen economic ties and explore innovative potentials.

Key Discussions with Tech Executives

• DataRobot CEO Debanjan Saha: Sitharaman and Saha discussed a potential $12 billion private-sector research and innovation scheme that aims to galvanize AI development in India. Saha emphasized India’s capability to establish itself as a global AI hub.
• Turing Founder Johnathan Siddharth: The conversation with Siddharth centered around the creation of a sovereign AI model designed to be a global template, with contributions from Indian experts.
• Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud: Their dialogue highlighted the progress of India’s digital infrastructure under the #DigitalIndia initiative, showcasing the nation’s commitment to enhancing its technological landscape.
• Anjney Midha from a16z: Midha, along with VMware’s Raghu Raghuram, discussed prospects for collaboration in AI across sectors such as education and healthcare, stressing the importance of innovation in these fields.

Luncheon Roundtable with Investors

Sitharaman participated in a Luncheon Roundtable event attended by pension fund managers and institutional investors, accompanied by Finance Secretary Ajay Seth and Vinay Kwatra, India’s Ambassador to the USA. The discussion focused on fostering investment opportunities in India.

Address at Stanford University

The Finance Minister concluded her trip with a keynote address at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, presenting her vision for a developed India by 2047, termed ‘#ViksitBharat’. She spoke of the importance of reforms, enhancing domestic capacities, fostering institutional partnerships, and developing adaptive strategies to achieve this vision.