India’s Artificial Intelligence Ambition to Boost Economic Growth

New Delhi, India – India is gearing up to ride the Artificial Intelligence (AI) wave, with plans to infuse US$ 967 billion into its economy over the next decade. Tasked with framing AI legislation, the Government-appointed expert group outlined a comprehensive roadmap in a 180-page report. Here are the key recommendations:

AI Centers of Excellence: The Government proposes three AI Centers of Excellence (CoEs) focusing on crucial sectors like governance, healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing. These CoEs aim to conduct research, drive technology development, promote innovation, and enhance AI skill development, with a special focus on startup collaboration.
India Datasets Platform: Introducing the India Datasets Platform, the Government aims to create one of the world’s largest publicly assembled and anonymized datasets. This open-source platform encourages accessibility, allowing developers to contribute, customize, and enhance it, fostering a collaborative environment.
Monetizing Non-personal Data: The India Datasets Platform is recommended to be monetized, empowering data providers to set pricing models based on the value and uniqueness of their datasets. This recommendation, though, needs careful consideration given past criticism over the idea of monetizing non-personal data.
Non-personal Data Regulator: The establishment of the National Data Management Office (NDMO), the overseeing body for the India Datasets Platform, is recommended within two months. This timeline also includes hiring data management units to ensure data quality and usage improvements.
Funding for AI Startups: The report suggests an investment of INR 4,000 crore for 725 AI startups through the MeitY Startup Hub’s Future Design IndiaAI scheme. This initiative envisions nurturing an inclusive AI startup ecosystem over five years, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.
Early-stage Funding Support: An AI Ignition Grant Program is proposed to support 500 AI/deep tech startups with grants at the product development stage. Further, commercialization-stage challenges, with a total budget of INR 45 crore, are suggested across sectors like agriculture, health, and cybersecurity.
National AI Compute Grid: Experts recommend creating a computing infrastructure with 24,500 graphics processing units (GPUs) at 17 centers. This grid aims to drive innovation in emerging tech areas, supporting startups and academia. It includes GPUs for training AI models and high-performance storage, crucial for AI inferencing.
Support for AI Chips: Acknowledging the efficiency of AI chips, the report suggests Government support for their development through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. AI chips, including graphics processing units (GPUs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), are vital for accelerating AI algorithms.
Broad-based AI Education: The report proposes funding for 1,000 AI research fellowships annually or research grants for 100 institutions. Additionally, a model curriculum covering AI fundamentals, mathematics, machine learning, AI ethics, and more is suggested for schools, colleges, and vocational institutes.
Marketplaces and Open-source AI: To enhance AI accessibility, leveraging AI Marketplaces for AI as a Service (AIaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS) is recommended. Open-source AI frameworks and libraries will be utilized to foster innovation and collaboration.

India’s ambitious AI strategy is poised to propel the nation into a leading role in the global AI landscape, fostering innovation, economic growth, and technological advancements.

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