India has focused on harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for its socio-economic growth in the last few years. Thus, it has taken a major leap forward with the launch of the IndiaAI mission in this direction. This ambitious initiative, announced by the Government of India, aims to establish the nation as a hub for indigenous AI research and development. It is a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), NITI Aayog, and other key stakeholders. The mission is structured to enhance India’s technological capacity, especially in AI, to align with the country’s digital aspirations for “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) by 2047.
A core focus of this mission is to build an ecosystem that encourages AI innovation within India. It includes establishing centers of excellence dedicated to AI research in partnership with leading academic institutions and the private sector. Besides this, the IndiaAI Innovation Centre has been also established to streamline the implementation and retention of top research talents.
With over Rs.10,300 crore funding allocation, the government is trying to foster initiatives like IndiaAI Innovation Centre, IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI Startup Financing, IndiaAI Datasets Platform, and Safe & Trusted AI. Under this, the focus is on developing data infrastructure, such as creating India’s national AI data platform to consolidate data from various sectors to support AI development.
IndiaAI, in association with Meta, has also announced the establishment of the Center for Generative AI, named Srijan, at IIT Jodhpur. Further, the “YuvAi initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building” has been launched to empower young developers with AI skills and offer them open-source real-world solutions. These partnerships with global technology leaders will facilitate knowledge exchange and ensure India remains abreast of the latest AI advancements. Additionally, the mission encourages ethical AI practices and regulatory frameworks to ensure responsible and inclusive AI adoption.
The mission represents a transformative vision for India to develop cutting-edge AI technologies and become a knowledge hub for AI innovation in the Global South. By fostering an indigenous AI ecosystem, it can position India as a formidable AI power globally, reinforcing the country’s technological sovereignty and paving the way for future growth.