As I arrive in Delhi to participate in the ambitious India AI Impact Summit, I feel an almost irrepressible sense of exhilaration. It is a feeling born of seeing a nation I have long admired thrive—and forge a path to success for its peers. India’s ability to maintain unity in multiplicity has always fascinated me. As one of the world’s largest republics, encompassing myriad languages, religions, cultures and traditions, the country exemplifies a living, dynamic pluralism.
But what truly cemented my affection for India was my first exposure to its people during an earlier chapter of my life, when I worked in London in the 1990s. The lessons I absorbed then, far removed from the marbled halls of diplomacy and the clamour of politics, have helped shape both my character and my worldview.
I arrived at work each morning before dawn and left only after twelve hours on my feet, often ending the day with a mop to the floors. It was hard, honest work, and it served as an early apprenticeship in discipline and humility. The only people who worked even harder were the Indians that I befriended: my manager, a Sikh gentleman from Punjab, and the Sagar family. The Sagars worked with an indefatigable sense of purpose. They were generous, spoke little of themselves, and yet taught me something profound about perseverance and dignity.
At a time when many Europeans around me were habituated to underestimating India and Indians alike, the quiet determination and industry of my colleagues and friends made me think otherwise. Those who dismiss India’s long-term promise, I thought then, will one day be proved wrong.
I was reminded of this conviction at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos. Among the many voices in a discussion on artificial intelligence was a perspective suggesting that India might occupy a “second tier” among global AI powers. I must respectfully disagree. India’s approach to AI emphasises real-world deployment, ethical standards and inclusive innovation. As Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s minister for information technology, made clear at Davos, New Delhi focuses less on headline-grabbing models and more on effective application—from healthcare and agriculture to education and financial inclusion. This pragmatic emphasis, hewing closely with the world’s most pressing needs in the 21st century, underscores India’s aspiration to be a trailblazer in applying technology for societal good.
The India AI Impact Summit, therefore, is more than a conference. It places India firmly at the centre of the global discourse on artificial intelligence. Its objective is to understand how AI can be deployed responsibly, inclusively and at scale to tackle real-world challenges. Animated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition to democratise access to the benefits of new technology, it seeks to ensure that AI is not the preserve of a privileged few, but an engine of inclusive development and collective advancement.
As the leader of one of Europe’s most promising economies, I am keenly aware of how much my own compatriots—particularly the young—stand to gain from such an approach.
Today, relations between Serbia and India are anchored in a strong history of cooperation, mutual regard and expanding economic ties. In 2018, to memorialise seventy years of diplomatic relations, our two countries jointly released commemorative stamps featuring Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla—emblems of spiritual insight and scientific ingenuity whose legacies transcend borders. India has also been steadfast in supporting Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, including on the issue of Kosovo, maintaining a principled stance of non-recognition of its unilateral declaration of independence in 2008.
While bilateral trade between Serbia and India—currently standing at around $400mn—has continued to grow, there remains vast untapped potential. Indian companies are active in Serbia across sectors ranging from IT to automotive components and manufacturing. These are encouraging indicators, but we can and must aim higher.
Our shared ambition should be to broaden and intensify economic engagement through enhanced connectivity, simplifying and streamlining trade arrangements, and fostering sustained investment in innovation-driven partnerships, particularly in high-growth sectors such as information technology, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy. Greater facilitation of business delegations and joint ventures will, I am confident, stimulate growth on both sides.
There is immense scope, too, for cultural and creative exchange. I would be delighted to see Indian films produced in Serbia, bringing to life our beatific landscapes and weaving together stories that resonate far beyond our frontiers.
As I reflect on the extraordinary possibilities before us, I return to the lesson I first learned decades ago on a London shop floor: that grit, equanimity, and self-belief are often the strongest engines of progress. India has those qualities in abundance. And, having observed him over the years, I can say that in Narendra Modi we have a partner who embodies them—not in rhetoric alone, but in unremitting action.
Those who still see India as a nation waiting its turn would do well to look again. India is not arriving at the future. It is helping to define it.
Aleksandar Vučić is the President of the Republic of Serbia
