Bolivia Intends To Learn From India's Digital, AI Innovations: Minister | Exclusive

Last Updated:February 24, 2026, 22:17 IST

Bolivia's vice tech minister underscored the remarkable dynamism of India's technology ecosystem, while welcoming the openness of Indian counterparts to expanding AI collaboration

The ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’ brought together policymakers and technology leaders from across the world, spotlighting how artificial intelligence is reshaping governance, economies, and societies.

Among the global voices in attendance was Bolivia, a country rich in natural resources and increasingly focused on leveraging science, technology, and innovation to drive sustainable and inclusive development.

On the sidelines of the summit, CNN-News18 had a chat with Omar Alfredo Peñaloza Escalera, who is the vice-minister of science and technology at the ministry of development planning in Bolivia. He spoke about La Paz’s growing engagement with India, the promise of South-South cooperation in emerging technologies, and how partnerships in AI can help build domestic capacity rather than deepen global inequalities.

Excerpts from the interview:

Minister, Bolivia has traditionally focused on extractive industries and basic technology sectors. How does participation in the India AI Impact Summit fit into Bolivia’s broader science and technology strategy?

Bolivia’s participation in the India AI Impact Summit reflects our broader policy of steadily strengthening science, technology, and innovation as key drivers of sustainable development. We are committed to transforming our productive sectors by adopting emerging technologies, diversifying the economy, and creating greater value.

India is a strategic partner from the Global South, with a strong track record in digital innovation and inclusive technological solutions. Our presence here shows Bolivia’s intent to learn from successful models, encourage knowledge exchange, and build partnerships that ultimately improve the lives of our people.

Artificial intelligence can deepen global inequalities if mismanaged. How is Bolivia ensuring that Al collaborations with India will build domestic capacity rather than create dependency?

Bolivia views international cooperation as a partnership built on mutual respect, complementarity, and joint capacity-building. In the field of AI, our focus is on developing human talent, ensuring technology transfer, and strengthening institutions.

The goal is to create solutions tailored to Bolivia’s own realities, while promoting technological sovereignty and responsible data governance. Our cooperation with India is designed to build domestic capacity, not dependency, so that the benefits of AI support inclusive and sustainable development.

Advanced AI relies heavily on high-performance chips and semiconductors. Does Bolivia plan to collaborate with India on developing or accessing AI hardware?

We recognise the strategic importance of technological infrastructure for advancing AI. Bolivia is open to exploring cooperation mechanisms that improve access to advanced computing capabilities, encourage technical knowledge-sharing, and enable participation in initiatives linked to specialised AI hardware.

From a complementary partnership perspective, we see opportunities to deepen dialogue in areas of shared interest, including technology innovation connected to strategic resources and the strengthening of technical capabilities in emerging sectors.

Finally, during your visit to India and interactions with Indian counterparts, what were your key takeaways?

The visit highlighted the remarkable dynamism of India’s technology ecosystem and its strong commitment to using innovation as a tool for inclusion and development. It also reinforced the value of South-South cooperation as an effective way to tackle shared challenges.

We especially appreciated the openness and willingness of our Indian counterparts to expand collaboration in areas such as applied AI, digital transformation of public services, and institutional strengthening. We leave with a strong sense that this relationship can grow into a long-term strategic partnership built on trust, respect, and mutual benefit.

News world Bolivia Intends To Learn From India's Digital, AI Innovations: Minister | Exclusive

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