Syllabus: 

GS3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life; Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.  

Context: 

Recently, the Global AI City Index for 2025 has been released revealing that, several Indian cities are rising quickly in the rankings.

About Global AI City Index 2025

• It is a global benchmarking report that evaluates cities on their capacity, investment, and innovation in artificial intelligence.
• The Index is a study of the adoption of the use of AI in the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the world. 
• Published by Market research firm Counterpoint Research.
• Counterpoint analysed over 5,000 initiatives in the private and public sectors, strength of communications infrastructure, data centre and supercomputing initiatives, university output and strength of the startup ecosystem, among other factors. 
• The study also analyses key tech vendors enabling AI cities, explores the use of AI in industry verticals such as the public sector, healthcare, and transportation. 

Key Findings of the Index 

India’s Performance in Global AI City Index  

• Bengaluru has secured the 26th position in the Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) City Index and was first in the rankings of Indian cities. 
• The report notes that Bengaluru has established itself as a global AI R&D and data centre hub, attracting significant foreign investment through its thriving startup ecosystem.
• Bengaluru was followed by Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata.
• Mumbai and Delhi are using AI in innovative ways for traffic management and public security, and are expected to rise in future rankings.
• The report emphasises that Indian cities could benefit from a more comprehensive roadmap and a robust regulatory framework to fully capitalise on AI’s potential.

Global findings 

• Singapore claimed the top spot as the world’s leading AI city, followed by Seoul, Beijing, Dubai, and San Francisco in the top five.
• It reported, that Bengaluru, Riyadh, Hangzhou, and São Paulo are among the fastest-growing AI cities in the world.
• The report predicted that with significant investments in supercomputing, the gap between North America and China will likely narrow in the coming years.

On the Industry Front

• Microsoft was the most active vendor as it extended its AI data centre presence, conducted AI training, and opened AI innovation hubs. 
• Google and Amazon also strengthened their AI capabilities by expanding infrastructure and developing similar initiatives. 

Sources:

https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/bengaluru-ranks-26th-in-global-ai-city-index-singapore-secures-top-spot https://www.counterpointresearch.com/report/global-ai-cities-index-2025