India Ranks 36th Among 170 Nations in Global Index for Readiness to Adopt New Technologies
United Nations, April 4 – India has secured the 36th position out of 170 countries in a global index assessing readiness to adopt frontier technologies, marking a significant improvement from its previous ranking. The findings were released in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Technology and Innovation Report 2025.
According to the report, India showed notable progress compared to its 48th position in 2022. The index evaluates how prepared countries are to embrace critical and emerging technologies that are reshaping global economic and social landscapes. It takes into account indicators such as ICT deployment, skills, research and development (R&D), industrial capacity, and access to finance.
India ranked third globally in R&D readiness, 10th in industrial capacity, 70th in access to finance, 99th in ICT deployment, and 113th in skills. As per agency report, the country’s rise in the index reflects its improved performance, especially in research and innovation-related activities.
The report highlighted that countries like India, China, Brazil, and the Philippines are among the developing nations showing strong performance in technology readiness. It noted that while high-income countries are typically expected to be more prepared for advanced technologies, some developing economies have outperformed expectations relative to their per capita income.
UNCTAD emphasized that developing countries must brace for a world rapidly evolving due to artificial intelligence and digital transformation. While developed nations dominate the top rankings, countries like Singapore, China, and India are closing the gap and are already within the higher echelons of the index.
In the field of artificial intelligence, India ranked 10th in terms of investment, having invested USD 1.4 billion in 2023. The United States led the global AI investment landscape with USD 67 billion, accounting for 70 percent of global AI investment, followed by China with USD 7.8 billion.
The report projected that by 2033, the global AI market could reach USD 4.8 trillion, playing a pivotal role in digital transformation. However, it also pointed out that access to AI infrastructure and expertise remains concentrated in a few economies, with most of the top 100 AI companies based in the US and China. Together, these two countries contribute nearly 40 percent of global spending on AI research and development.
India’s progress in the global technology readiness index underscores its growing capabilities and ambitions in shaping the digital future, especially as the world witnesses rapid advancements in frontier technologies.
