The cabinet has approved an allocation of over Rs 103 billion for the IndiaAI mission, which is a major step in strengthening India’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. The IndiaAI mission’s key initiatives, such as the IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Center (IAIC), IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI, are poised to be accelerated by this significant financial infusion, which would take place over the next five years.
The financial outlay aims to implement IndiaAI Mission through public-private partnerships, enhancing India’s AI innovation ecosystem and establishing a scalable AI computing infrastructure by deploying over 10,000 graphic processing units (GPUs).
Commenting on the approval, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, union minister of state for electronics and IT, skill development and entrepreneurship, said, “AI is going to be the kinetic enabler for India’s digital economy. Prime minister (PM) Modi ji has always said that India is going to fully exploit the power of AI for the benefit of its citizens and for the expansion of its economy. I am grateful and thankful to the honourable prime minister for the approval of more than 100 billion for the India AI program, which will catalyse India’s AI ecosystem and position it as a force shaping the future of AI for India and for the world. This will benefit states like Kerala which, for years, missed the bus in creating a robust tech ecosystem. There is immense potential among young Indians in Kerala and with this financial outlay will help realise their ambitions.”
It aims to enhance the IndiaAI Startup Financing mechanism, enabling easier access to funding for AI startups, catalysing their journey from product development to commercialisation and includes provisions for industry-led projects promoting social impact, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC) will be the leading academic institution, focusing on the development and deployment of foundational models, particularly indigenous large multimodal models (LMMs) and domain-specific models, using edge and distributed computing for optimal efficiency, and ensuring streamlined implementation and retention of top research talent.
Independent Business Division (IBD) aims to enhance the accessibility, quality, and utility of public sector datasets through the IndiaAI Datasets Platform, promoting data-driven governance and AI-based innovation and research.
FutureSkills program aims to expand AI education by increasing accessibility of graduate and post-graduate programs and establishing data and AI labs in major Indian cities and smaller towns to provide foundational-level courses in Data and AI.
These initiatives align with IndiaAI Mission’s vision to enhance India’s global AI leadership, promote technological self-reliance, ensure ethical AI deployment, and democratise AI benefits across all societal strata.
