Parliamentary panel urges India to adopt public tech strategy and set up coordination body

The parliamentary committee on external affairs, led by Shashi Tharoor, expressed surprise that India does not have a unified written policy tying technology to its foreign affairs. Labeling the existing framework as “fragmentary, piecemeal and ad hoc,” the panel urged the Ministry of External Affairs to collaborate with MeitY, other ministries, academia, research institutions and industry to produce a public technology vision and a distinct technology diplomacy strategy.

Both documents should be publicly released and periodically reviewed. Additionally, the committee proposed establishing a formal inter-ministerial technology diplomacy body, chaired by the MEA and comprising the IT, science, space and commerce ministries, to ensure regular coordination. The recommendations appear in the committee’s 17th report, adopted on September 22 and submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker on September 25. The report also highlighted gaps in India’s AI ecosystem and called for an update of the national AI strategy by NITI Aayog and MeitY in consultation with the MEA.