Carnegie India’s Global Technology Summit Will Shape Policy Recommendations For India’s Role In The Digital Age

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The summit is co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India

Given the extraordinary implications of emerging technologies on governance, development, and security, Carnegie India’s annual flagship event, the Global Technology Summit, is bringing together leading entrepreneurs, industry leaders, academics, technologists, and policymakers from around the world to discuss issues of technology policy. On December 14, S. Jaishankar, external affairs minister of India will deliver the keynote address to kickstart GTS 2020. Other prominent Indian and international speakers include Satya Nadella, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Piyush Goyal, Adar Poonawalla, Soumya Swaminathan, and Amitabh Kant.

As technology and politics become increasingly interdependent, and a country's geopolitical constraints and national strategies dictate what technologies it will develop or adopt, the theme for this year’s summit is ‘Geopolitics of Technology.’ Through curated panels, expert talks, student workshops, and closed-door discussions over five days, the summit will showcase key technologies, disseminate public awareness, and most importantly, shape policy recommendations that best engineer India's transition to a digital age. The public sessions will be organised in four-hour blocks starting on the evening of December 14.

Carnegie India’s Global Tech Summit 2020 aims to foster thoughtful and substantive discussions on the most relevant questions of the day around technology policy. Accordingly, each summit day will be devoted to exploring a different sub-theme within the larger theme of 'Geopolitics of Technology.'

1. Geopolitics of Technology: Technical gets Political

Emerging technologies like Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and 5G telecommunications are of critical importance as they underpin new products and services and transform operational processes. These innovations are also sources of increasing geopolitical rivalry between countries and groups like the United States, China, and the European Union, with each vying for leadership in research, commercialization, and deployment. How will the future of technology play out globally keeping in mind these competing national interests?

2. Data: Linking the World

Increasingly, across the world, the flow of data is being restricted in an attempt to gain competitive advantage. Many countries have developed their own standards when it comes to privacy, Artificial Intelligence, and even 5G infrastructure. In order to prevent further Balkanization of the Internet and technology, it is vital that global standards are agreed on and adopted to address these issues. Will countries be able to identify the right balance between localization and internationalization of data? Will India’s data protection regulation provide the necessary safeguards while continuing to encourage innovation?

3. Digital Payments: The Future of Global Financial Highways

Rapid technological development in the payments industry, demand for faster and cheaper payment options from consumers, and a swiftly changing regulatory environment have all led to the advent of digital currencies. While these digital currencies help make payments more efficient, they also hold the potential to reshape the international monetary system, the nature of currency competition and the role of government-issued public money. In parallel, India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has seen an exemplary roll-out and expansion. Does UPI have the potential to shape the regional financial system and aid in its development? What is the impact of digital currencies on global and domestic financial systems?

4. Digital Inclusion: Taking the Local to the Global

As more people around the world work from home, they rely ever more on Internet and communications technology to stay connected, work, shop, bank and even learn. How can technology promote digital and financial inclusion while also addressing various challenges such e-literacy, access, and trust?

5. Transforming Healthcare for a Post-COVID World

Technology has played a crucial role in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. While it can’t prevent the onset of pandemics, it can educate, warn, help control the spread, as well as reduce its impact. It will also play a role in addressing the logistical challenges of vaccine delivery, which is the hottest topic of the day, now that COVID-19 vaccines are very close to reality. What role can technology play in ending the current pandemic as well as in preventing the next one?

Finally, in five closed-door discussions across the five summit days, a select group of technocrats, policy makers, diplomats and academicians will be invited to deliberate on these topics. The insights gained from all these sessions will inform Carnegie India’s research as well add to the public discourse in areas which directly impact the lives of every citizen.

Click here to learn more about the Global Technology Summit 2020 and to register.