In Baramati, Maharashtra, a small farmer is rewriting the rules of agriculture with Artificial Intelligence (AI). We are witnessing something extraordinary here - reduction in usage of fertilizer, better water use efficiency and higher yields, all enabled by AI.
This is just a glimpse into India’s AI-powered revolution, where technology and innovation are no longer limited to labs but are transforming the lives of ordinary citizens. In many ways, this farmer’s story is a microcosm of a much larger transformation - our march towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Writing the Digital Destiny
India is shaping its digital future with a strong focus on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), AI, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. For decades, India has been a global leader in software but now it is making big strides in hardware manufacturing also.
Five semiconductor plants are under construction, strengthening India’s role in the global electronics sector. Today, electronics products rank among our top three exports and soon we will reach a major milestone—the launch of India’s first “Make in India” chip this year.
Building AI: Compute, Data, and Innovation
Semiconductors and electronics form the backbone, while DPI serves as the driving force propelling India’s tech revolution. India is democratizing AI by making it accessible to all through one of its kind AI framework.
A key initiative in this regard is India’s Common Compute facility with 18,000+ Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). Available at a subsidized cost under ₹100/hour, this initiative will ensure that cutting-edge research is accessible to researchers, startups, academia, and other stakeholders. This initiative will enable easy access of GPUs for developing AI-based systems, including the foundational models, and applications.
India is also developing large-scale non-personal anonymized datasets to train AI models on diverse & high-quality data. This initiative will help reduce biases and improve accuracy, making AI systems more reliable and inclusive. These datasets will power AI-driven solutions across various sectors such as agriculture, weather forecasting & traffic management.
The government is facilitating the development of India’s own foundational models, including Large Language Models (LLMs) and problem-specific AI solutions tailored to Indian needs. To foster AI research, multiple Centers of Excellence have also been set up.
India’s DPI, a blueprint for digital innovation
India’s pioneering work in DPI has significantly shaped the global digital landscape. Unlike corporate or state-controlled models, India’s ingenious public-private approach uses public funds to build platforms like Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker. Private players further innovate and create user-friendly, application-specific solutions on top of DPI.
This model is now being supercharged with AI, as financial and governance platforms like UPI, and DigiLocker, integrate intelligent solutions. The global interest in India’s DPI framework was evident at the G20 Summit, where various countries had expressed desire to replicate the model. Japan has granted a patent to India’s UPI payment system, a testament to its scalability.
Mahakumbh, a sangam of tradition and tech
India leveraged its DPI and AI-driven management for seamless operations of Mahakumbh 2025, the largest human gathering ever. AI-powered tools monitored the railway passenger movement in real time to optimize the crowd dispersal across railway stations in Prayagraj.
Bhashini, integrated into the Kumbh Sah’AI’yak Chatbot, enabled voice-based lost & found facility, real-time translation, and multilingual assistance for all. Its collaboration with various departments such as Indian Railways & UP Police streamlined communication for quick issue resolution.
By leveraging DPI, Mahakumbh 2025 has set a global benchmark for tech-enabled management, making it more inclusive, efficient, and secure.
Building a future-ready workforce
India’s workforce is at the heart of its digital revolution. The country is adding one Global Capability Center (GCC) every week, reinforcing its status as a preferred destination for global R&D and technological development. However, sustaining this growth will require continuous investment in education and skill development.
The government is addressing this challenge by revamping university curricula to include AI, 5G, and semiconductor design, as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This will ensure that graduates enter the workforce with job-ready skills, reducing the transition time between education and employment.
Pragmatic approach towards regulating AI
As India builds a future-ready workforce, its AI regulatory framework must foster innovation while ensuring responsible deployment. Unlike the ‘heavy-handed’ regulatory framework, which risks stifling innovation, or the ‘market-driven governance’, which often concentrates power in the hands of a few, India is following a pragmatic, techno-legal approach.
Rather than relying solely on legislation to address AI-related risks, the government is investing in technological safeguards. The government is financing AI-driven projects at top universities and IITs for developing tools to tackle deep fakes, privacy concerns, and cybersecurity threats.
As AI continues to reshape global industries, India’s vision is clear - leverage technology for inclusive growth while maintaining a regulatory framework that fosters innovation. But beyond policies and infrastructure, this transformation is about our people.
The author is Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Railways and Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.