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Op-Ed FEBRUARY 06, 2026 | The Indian Eye 15

and societies. Will human intelli-
gence be diminished or augmented?
How do individuals retain agency in
systems increasingly governed by al-
gorithms? Can intelligence remain
plural, or will it converge into a few
dominant models controlled by a
handful of actors?
These concerns have given rise
to what many at Davos describe as
a necessary “human intelligence
shift”—a deliberate effort to design
AI systems that enhance human dig-
nity, judgment, and purpose rather
than replace them. The challenge is
no longer technical alone; it is moral
and societal.
Governance in
the Intelligent Age
Nowhere is this challenge more
evident than in debates around gov-
ernance. Artificial intelligence has
become a defining instrument of
21st-century power, shaping eco-
nomic competitiveness, military Advances in robotics, multimodal reasoning, and embodied systems are collapsing the distance between thought and execution (MS File photo)
capability, and information ecosys-
tems. At Davos, leaders expressed digital public infrastructure, a vast institutions like the National Insti- a Global AI Impact Summit in New
growing concern about cybersecu- talent pool, democratic governance, tute of Pharmaceutical Education Delhi reflects a determination to
rity vulnerabilities, regulatory frag- and growing industrial capacity. and Research. At the same time, ed- shape inclusive norms and ensure
mentation, and the risk of techno- ucational priorities are evolving to- that the benefits of intelligence at
logical concentration. AI and the Reinvention of ward bioinformatics, computational scale are not confined to a small
An overwhelming majority of India’s Pharmaceutical group of nations.
surveyed executives identified AI-re- Ecosystem biology, vaccinology, and AI-driven
lated risks as among the most serious Perhaps the most consequential pharmacovigilance—skills essential Conclusion: Intelligence With
for high-value manufacturing and
facing the global system. The ques- dimension of India’s Davos narra- research. Responsibility
tion is no longer whether AI should tive lies in its pharmaceutical and Davos 2026 confirms that ar-
be regulated, but whose regulatory life-sciences sector. Long known as From States to the Global tificial intelligence is no longer a
philosophy will prevail. Competing Stage sectoral phenomenon. It is a civili-
models—from market-driven inno- the “pharmacy of the world,” India India’s federal innovation model zational force that will define how
is now undergoing a strategic transi-
vation to state-centric control—are tion toward becoming a global inno- was also on display at Davos. States economies grow, how power is dis-
vying to define global norms. vation partner. such as Madhya Pradesh showcased tributed, and how societies function.
The lingering impact of last pharmaceutical manufacturing and The Intelligent Age demands
India already hosts the largest
year’s disruption by Chinese firm number of FDA-approved pharma- supply-chain resilience, while Telan- more than faster machines. It re-
DeepSeek, which claimed cost-ef- ceutical manufacturing plants out- gana highlighted AI-led disruption quires infrastructure with foresight,
ficient parity with OpenAI, under- side the United States and remains in medical technology, positioning governance with legitimacy, innova-
scored how quickly leadership can a dominant supplier of generics and Hyderabad as a global knowledge tion with inclusion, and intelligence
shift—and how fragile dominance vaccines. What is changing is the and innovation hub. These sub-na- guided by human values.
can be. value profile. The industry is rapid- tional efforts reinforce India’s India’s emergence as a confi-
India’s Emergence as a Shaper, ly moving toward complex generics, broader strategy of distributed, scal- dent, values-driven AI leader adds a
not a Spectator biosimilars, and high-value active able growth. crucial dimension to this global mo-
Against this complex backdrop, pharmaceutical ingredients, sup- A Long-Term Vision for India ment. The future will not be shaped
India’s presence at Davos 2026 ported increasingly by AI-driven and the World by who builds the largest models, but
by who builds the most trusted, hu-
stands out not for its scale alone, but processes. India’s ambitions extend well
for its confidence and coherence. In- By 2026, roughly one-fifth of In- beyond the current decade. The man-centered systems.
The Intelligent Age has begun.
dia is no longer content to be viewed dian pharmaceutical companies are country aims to grow its pharmaceu- The responsibility to shape it wisely
as a back-office or downstream con- deploying AI across quality analytics, tical sector to over US$120 billion by is now collective.
sumer of AI innovation. It is posi- regulatory compliance, operation- 2030 and to as much as US$500 bil-
tioning itself as a full-stack, first-tier al workflows, and drug discovery. lion by 2047 under its long-term na-
AI power. These tools are accelerating devel- tional vision. Artificial intelligence H S Panaser: Chairman, Global Indi-
Union IT Minister Ashwini opment timelines by as much as 25 is central to this trajectory, not as an Trade and Cultural Council, USA
Vaishnaw used the Davos platform to 50 percent, fundamentally alter- an end in itself, but as a multiplier l Business Development Consultant
to firmly reject the notion of a US– ing the economics of innovation. of productivity, quality, and global in Pharmaceuticals, IT and AI I EDP
China duopoly, asserting that India Government initiatives such as competitiveness. I Advisor in merger and acquisitions I
belongs to the leading group of glob- the Promotion of Research and In- Equally significant is India’s GSK I Ex Chair, USINPAC I President
al AI nations. India’s strength lies novation in the Pharma MedTech positioning as a bridge between at Global Indian Diaspora Alliance l
not in a single breakthrough, but in Sector are reinforcing this shift, with advanced AI economies and the Associated with Prof. Harkishan Singh
its integrated approach—combining Centres of Excellence established at Global South. Its announcement of Foundation I Social Activist I Columnist

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