AI, Power And Perception: IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva Sparks Global Debate At Davos |

Updated: January 22, 2026 21:31

Image Source: Times of India

At the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva participated in a high-level panel discussion that evolved into a debate on global artificial intelligence rankings, as India’s IT minister contested the IMF’s assessment and highlighted India’s fast-growing AI ecosystem and global ambitions.

A high-profile panel discussion at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos placed artificial intelligence at the center of a lively global policy debate. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva joined policymakers and industry leaders to discuss how AI is reshaping productivity, economic growth, and global competitiveness, reinforcing the IMF’s view that AI will be a key driver of future economic expansion.

The discussion gained momentum when India’s Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, responded to remarks suggesting that India belonged to a “second-tier” group of AI nations. Vaishnaw firmly countered this view, stating that India should be considered among the top-tier AI powers, alongside leading global economies. He emphasized that AI leadership should not be measured solely by large language models or computing power, but also by real-world deployment, adoption, and impact.

Key Highlights From The Panel Discussion

Kristalina Georgieva highlighted AI’s potential to boost global productivity and stressed the need for inclusive policies to ensure that technological gains are widely shared across economies.
Ashwini Vaishnaw underlined India’s strengths across the AI value chain, particularly in applications, scalability, and mass adoption, pointing to India’s digital public infrastructure as a competitive advantage.
The exchange drew attention to differing global perspectives on how AI leadership is defined and measured, sparking broader conversations among policymakers and business leaders at Davos.
Following the panel, Georgieva clarified that her earlier comments stemmed from a misunderstanding during moderation and reiterated the IMF’s admiration for India’s technological progress and dynamic digital economy.

The panel underscored the growing importance of AI in shaping global economic narratives and highlighted how emerging economies are asserting their place in the evolving technology-driven world order.

Sources: World Economic Forum, Financial Express, NDTV, India Today

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