RT team
India has made notable progress in embracing emerging technologies, ranking 36th out of 170 nations in the UN’s 2025 Technology and Innovation Report by UNCTAD. This marks a significant rise from 48th place in 2022 on the ‘Readiness for Frontier Technologies’ index. The index evaluates a nation’s ability to adopt and develop technologies across five pillars: ICT deployment, skills, R&D, industrial capacity, and access to finance.
India ranked impressively in research and development (3rd globally) and industrial capacity (10th), although it still faces challenges in ICT (99th) and skill development (113th). The report highlighted improvements in human capital across several developing countries, including India, driven by longer years of education and higher levels of skilled employment.
The report also placed India among the top developing nations—alongside China, Brazil, and the Philippines—outperforming expectations based on income levels.
India’s scientific strength in AI was also noted, ranking 10th in global private AI investment with $1.4 billion in 2023. Although the U.S. dominated with $67 billion, India’s rise signals growing momentum in AI adoption.
UNCTAD emphasized that developing nations must gear up for the transformative impact of frontier technologies, including AI, which is projected to become a $4.8 trillion industry by 2033. While the current AI landscape is dominated by a handful of countries and corporations, India’s rising preparedness positions it to play a meaningful role in the global tech ecosystem.
