Additional secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT and chief executive officer, India AI Mission, highlighted India’s rapid progress in artificial intelligence, pointing to the country’s strong technology base and world-class talent. He said India currently provides access to around 38,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) at affordable rates, less than $1 (Rs 60-65) per hour, but expects demand to rise sharply, requiring over 100,000 GPUs to support the next phase of artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovation.
He emphasised that the government is working to make compute infrastructure and high-quality datasets easily accessible to startups, researchers, and enterprises to build an inclusive, innovation-led AI ecosystem. He described the India AI Mission as a key platform to drive collaboration among industry, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to turn India’s AI ambitions into real-world impact.
Acknowledging that scaling GPU infrastructure is capital-intensive—with 1,000 GPUs costing Rs 5-8 billion, he expressed confidence in India’s ability to meet the challenge, citing continued government support and a deep pool of AI talent. He reiterated that India’s AI strategy is rooted in accessibility, responsibility, and equitable digital growth for all citizens.
