The 13th Asia Roundtable: Is India a Digital Empire?
Globally, we lack specific regimes to govern technologies. Issues like data, cyberspace, disinformation, social media, and artificial intelligence are discussed across multilateral frameworks like the WTO/UN and minilateral and plurilateral like the Prague Conference, Paris and Christchurch Calls. So far, the US, EU and China appear disinclined to negotiate international rules on digital economic issues. Instead, these jurisdictions or ‘digital empires’ are crafting domestic rules and regulations on matters like data and exporting them abroad through their market power. Their approach raises the question of whether India could become another such model or ‘digital empire’, creating robust rules and standards on issues like data, AI, digital markets, etc. and exporting that approach to increase its clout and protect its interests. This talk gauged India’s potential of being a ‘digital empire’, how its model differs from the EU, US, and China, and the implications of these digital empires for India’s interests and global technology governance, with Karthik Nachiappan (Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore) in conversation with C. Raja Mohan (Non-Resident Distinguished Fellow, Asia Society Policy Institute, Delhi).