About the Event
The Center of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) is organising panel discussions under the theme "Data for Development: Building AI in the Global South" on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit 2025 in Paris. The event is being hosted in partnership with AI4India and the Centre for Indo-European Cooperation.
By bringing together global industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers, the event will deliberate upon the critical data-related challenges hindering the development of effective and mature AI systems in the Global South. The dialogue is an attempt to spur actionable strategies and nurture a collective commitment to building an inclusive, trustworthy, and transformative AI ecosystem for the Global South.
About the Theme
Today, AI is reshaping the global development agenda, with governments in the Global South adopting AI to solve complex governance challenges. However, their progress is being hindered by limited access to high-quality, locally relevant data in a supportive environment. Some of the major factors contributing to this problem include domination over local data by global tech giants, inadequate infrastructure and funding, lack of interoperable systems, biases in AI systems, and low maturity of data governance frameworks. The problem of data drift, where models fail to adapt to changing local realities over time, further complicates the creation of reliable and sustainable AI systems for diverse populations. Addressing these problems is crucial to ensuring AI can drive inclusive growth and sustainable development in the Global South.
1. Data Sovereignty in the Global South: Leadership in the Age of AI
This session explores how the Global South can assert leadership over its data assets while fostering equitable global collaboration. It will examine the legal, ethical, and strategic dimensions of data governance critical to empowering nations in an AI-driven world.
2. Reimagining Economies: AI’s Role in Driving Growth in the Global South
Focusing on AI’s transformative potential, this session engages with the fashion in which emerging technologies will reshape economies in the Global South. It will address economic growth, innovation ecosystems, and the opportunities and risks posed by AI in diverse sectors.
3. Shaping Workforces: AI’s Influence on Non-Skilled and Semi-Skilled Labor
This session examines the impact of AI on non-skilled and semi-skilled labor markets in the Global South while discussing the risks of job displacement, strategies for workforce reskilling, and the role of emerging technologies in creating sustainable employment opportunities.
Our Panellists

Mr. Abhishek Singh
Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Government of India

Dr. Ramanand
Director
Center of Policy Research and Governance

Dr. Sean Dougherty
Senior Advisor
OECD

Dr. Joel Ruet
CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, CRG-i3

Mr. Ravi Kaushik
Executive Director
Center for Indo-European Cooperation

Mr. Sriram Subramanian
Founder/Principal
CloudDon

Mr. Shashi Shekhar Vempati
Co-Founder
AI4India

Mr. Alok Agrawal
Co-Founder
AI4India

Mr. Chetan Aggarwal
Visiting Fellow
Center of Policy Research and Governance

Mr. Parikshit Dhume
AI Innovation Expert