As the global technological community accelerates innovation in artificial intelligence and advances frameworks for its governance, questions arise over whether India is lagging in forging strategic alliances. India has achieved remarkable progress in AI development, yet in the rapidly evolving area of technological governance, remaining a passive observer while other countries are busy forging alliances carries risks. If India opts to stand aside as a mere spectator, it may undermine its ability to shape international norms and safeguard national interests. The challenge, therefore, lies in translating domestic achievements to the global level and becoming a strong player in the future AI development and governance.
Recent developments reported from China highlight India’s self-imposed absence from forging alliances within the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence ecosystem. Since 2018, China has been convening the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) annually in Shanghai, and the conference has become a platform to deliberate on the governance of artificial intelligence. This year’s WAIC, held in Shanghai on July 17, witnessed a significant decision to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) headquartered in Shanghai, a China-initiated framework aimed at institutionalising global dialogue on AI regulation. In fact, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during the conference held in 2025, had proposed establishing a new organisation for the development and governance of AI.
The initiative was formalised through the participation of 29 countries, including Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, and Indonesia, signing the founding agreement. Representatives of all 29 countries were present at the signing ceremony in Shanghai. According to the agreement, the WAICO will function as an independent intergovernmental organisation headquartered in Shanghai.
According to the agreement, the organisation would be committed to extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit and adhere to a people-centric approach. It also aims to promote international cooperation and global governance on AI, ensuring that AI is beneficial, safe and fair, thereby promoting its healthy and orderly development to benefit all humanity.
With the creation of WAICO, China signals to the world its intent to institutionalise a multilateral framework for AI governance, positioning itself as a central actor in shaping international norms and standards for emerging technologies.
After the formation of the new organisation, a keynote address was delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping. In his address, President XI signalled that the new organisation intends to associate with regional and global groupings such as ASEAN, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and BRICS. It was also signalled that WAICO has been projected as a more inclusive alternative to the AI governance framework proposed by Western countries.
President Xi further emphasised the need to enhance alignment and coordination on AI development strategies, governance rules and technical standards, so as to form a consensus-based global governance framework at an early date. Further, he also mentioned cooperating with Global South countries on capacity building to bridge the AI and digital divide and promote sustainable development. China’s announcement is signalling the positioning of WAICO as a multilateral platform and its intent to lead the Global South in shaping AI governance.
India, according to available information, has declined to join the newly established WAICO, possibly due to security concerns and its broader positioning within the emerging geopolitical landscape. Furthermore, signals emanating from Shanghai suggest that WAICO seeks to position itself as an alternative to the AI governance frameworks advanced by Western countries—an orientation that India may find uncomfortable, given the likelihood of attracting adverse perceptions and complicating its strategic alignments.
However, the question remains as to how far India can rely on collaboration with Western partners in the fast-changing technological domain, particularly given the frequent and inconsistent policy shifts emanating from Washington. The challenge for India lies in balancing strategic autonomy with effective engagement, ensuring that it does not risk marginalisation in the evolving architecture of global AI governance. India’s self-isolation from such upcoming framework may work against the interests of homegrown capabilities in the field of the evolving architecture of global technology regulation.
In the light of these developments, it would be interesting to assess India’s position on AI development and its governance during the upcoming 18th BRICS Summit, which is scheduled to be hosted by India on 12–13 September 2026, under the Chairship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As witnessed in the previous summits, discussions on the development of artificial intelligence and its governance are likely to come to the forefront, but with a renewed effort under the banner of WAICO.
Under these circumstances, it would be interesting to revisit India’s position on AI during the previous summit. During the Rio Summit in 2025, PM Modi articulated that in the 21st century, the progress and wellbeing of people largely depend on technology, especially AI. PM declared that India sees AI as a medium to enhance human values and potential, and India is working on the mantra of ‘AI for All’. It was further added that global standards must be created that can verify the authenticity of digital content so that the country can maintain transparency and prevent misuse.
With all these initiatives, India is now in a peculiar position in the BRICS arena, as it is not part of the newly formed WAICO, which is represented by many BRICS countries including China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa and newly joined members Indonesia and Ethiopia. This development has its own significance when India chairs the next BRICS Summit in September 2026.
As AI becomes one of the important subjects discussed around the world, BRICS too will have its share of discussion on the subject as in the past summit. The upcoming BRICS Summit will be marked by the emergence of a new grouping under China’s aegis, focused on artificial intelligence. Four out of the five founding BRICS members and Ethiopia and Indonesia, the two new members of BRICS, have joined hands with WAICO, signalling a collective push to advance their agenda on global AI governance. India, however, has refrained from joining this initiative, maybe because of multiple concerns. Against this backdrop, a key question is whether India’s voice on AI development and governance will carry sufficient weight during the upcoming BRICS Summit deliberations, given the growing alignment of its partners within WAICO.
(The author is Senior Fellow, Centre for Public Policy Research, Kochi.)
(The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.)
