Bengaluru ranked 26th in Global AI City Index

Bengaluru has secured the 26th position in the Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) City Index, emerging as India’s leading hub for AI research, development, and data centers, according to a report by market research firm Counterpoint Research. The ‘2025 AI City Index’ highlights that several Indian cities are rapidly climbing the global rankings, with Bengaluru, Riyadh, Hangzhou, and Sao Paulo identified among the fastest-growing AI hubs worldwide. Within India, Bengaluru leads the rankings, followed by Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata.

The report notes that Bengaluru has established itself as a global AI R&D and data center hub, attracting significant foreign investment through its thriving startup ecosystem. Meanwhile, Mumbai and Delhi are leveraging AI in innovative ways for traffic management and public security, and are expected to rise in future rankings. However, the report emphasizes that Indian cities could benefit from a more comprehensive roadmap and a robust regulatory framework to fully capitalize on AI’s potential.

Globally, Singapore claimed the top spot as the world’s leading AI city, followed by Seoul, Beijing, Dubai, and San Francisco in the top five. Singapore’s success is attributed to a vibrant startup ecosystem and strong public-private collaborations across sectors such as healthcare, transportation, and telecommunications. Seoul also stands out for its AI applications in healthcare and education, while Beijing announced formal AI education programs for all primary and secondary school students starting in 2025.

The report further predicts 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 emerged as the most active vendor, expanding its AI data center presence, conducting AI training programs, and launching innovation hubs. Google and Amazon also strengthened their AI capabilities by expanding infrastructure and developing similar initiatives, according to the report.

(State Correspondent)