China’s “Open” AI Pitch and Its Implications for India

16 Sep 2026

Tags: Science & Technology   Emerging Tech   Information technology

Source: The Indian Express

Context: At the 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed creating a BRICS Artificial Intelligence (AI) open-source community to promote cooperation among member countries.

• The proposal includes cooperation on large language models (LLMs), AI training, technology exchange and a common digital cloud platform.
• The initiative forms part of China’s broader effort to position its AI ecosystem as an alternative to proprietary AI systems dominated by US technology companies.

China’s Proposed BRICS AI Initiative

• China has proposed taking the lead in establishing a BRICS AI open-source community, facilitating cooperation in the development and deployment of LLMs.
• It also proposes specialised AI seminars and training programmes to build AI-related capabilities among BRICS countries.
• A BRICS digital ecosystem cloud platform has been proposed to facilitate access to digital infrastructure and AI resources.
• China has additionally advocated cooperation in digital skills, technology exchanges and intelligent manufacturing.

China’s Wider AI Outreach

• China is increasingly using AI cooperation as part of its engagement with developing countries and the Global South.
• At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai in July, Xi announced 5,000 AI training and seminar opportunities for developing countries over five years.
• China has also proposed AI application cooperation centres involving groupings such as BRICS, ASEAN and the African Union.
• The outreach can strengthen China’s technological influence by making its AI models, infrastructure and technical standards more accessible to developing countries.

Status within BRICS

• The proposed open-source AI community and digital cloud platform have not yet been adopted as BRICS-wide programmes.
• The New Delhi Declaration did not specifically endorse either proposal.
• Instead, BRICS countries broadly committed to improving access to AI resources, while emphasising safety, security, reliability and inclusiveness.
• The declaration also referred to previous BRICS cooperation on global AI governance.
• China’s assumption of the BRICS chairship in 2027 could provide an opportunity for Beijing to bring these proposals back to the grouping.

Why the Proposal Matters for India

• India and China both seek greater influence as leading voices of the Global South, making AI an emerging area of technological and geopolitical competition.
• China currently has a significant advantage over India in AI capabilities and technological infrastructure, but India is simultaneously attempting to expand access to AI resources for developing countries.
• India therefore needs to assess China’s proposal not merely as a technological initiative but also in terms of strategic dependence, standards, data governance and geopolitical influence.

India’s Approach to Democratise AI

• At the AI Impact Summit, India advocated wider access to compute capacity, datasets, AI models and other AI infrastructure, particularly for developing countries.
• This reflects India’s objective of making AI development more inclusive and accessible beyond technologically advanced economies.
• India is also building its own domestic AI ecosystem through the IndiaAI Mission, reducing excessive dependence on foreign AI providers.

IndiaAI Mission

• The IndiaAI Mission seeks to strengthen domestic AI capabilities through measures including subsidised compute infrastructure, support for Indian foundation models and development of datasets.
• It represents a dual approach: democratising access to AI globally while building domestic technological capabilities.
• Any future BRICS AI initiative would therefore need to complement, rather than undermine, India’s ongoing efforts to develop an indigenous AI ecosystem.

Open-Source AI: Strategic Significance

• Open-source AI makes relevant model components, tools or code available for wider use and adaptation, potentially reducing dependence on a small number of proprietary technology providers.
• For developing countries, such systems can lower barriers to AI experimentation, local innovation and capacity-building.
• However, openness does not automatically eliminate strategic dependence; countries may still depend on the provider for compute infrastructure, datasets, cloud platforms, technical standards or critical components.

Key Issues for India

• India should distinguish between AI cooperation that expands access and arrangements that could create long-term dependence on Chinese technological infrastructure.
• Cooperation should preserve data sovereignty, cybersecurity, transparency and interoperability.
• India should seek access to global AI resources while simultaneously strengthening domestic compute capacity, foundation models, semiconductor capabilities, datasets and AI talent.
• BRICS AI cooperation should ideally be based on open standards and technology neutrality, rather than becoming an ecosystem centred on any single country.

Way Forward for India

• India can engage constructively with China’s proposal while ensuring that BRICS cooperation remains open, inclusive and non-exclusive.
• New Delhi should use BRICS to promote affordable access to AI compute, models, datasets, skills and infrastructure for developing countries.
• At the same time, India should strengthen its domestic AI ecosystem so that international cooperation supplements rather than substitutes indigenous capabilities.
• The strategic objective should be to combine technological openness with technological sovereignty, enabling India to benefit from global AI cooperation without creating critical dependencies.