In a significant step to encourage artificial intelligence (AI) development in India, the Union Cabinet on Thursday gave a green signal to the national-level IndiaAI Mission with a budget outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore. The decision came against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's multiple references to the developments in AI space and how India can be a huge contributor to the same.
A press note from the Cabinet said that the IndiaAI Mission will further the vision of Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India. The IndiaAI Mission seeks to showcase to the international community the positive applications of the revolutionary technology for societal benefit, thereby elevating India's global competitiveness.
“The IndiaAI Mission will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalysing AI innovation through strategic programmes and partnerships across the public and private sectors. By democratising computing access, improving data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, enabling industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects and bolstering ethical AI, it will drive responsible, inclusive growth of India's AI ecosystem," the press release added.
1. IndiaAI Compute Capacity: The IndiaAI compute pillar will build a high-end scalable AI computing ecosystem to cater to the increasing demands from India’s rapidly expanding AI start-ups and research ecosystem. The ecosystem will comprise AI compute infrastructure of 10,000 or more Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), built through public-private partnerships. Further, an AI marketplace will be designed to offer AI as a service and pre-trained models to AI innovators. It will act as a one-stop solution for resources critical for AI innovation.
2. IndiaAI Innovation Centre: The IndiaAI Innovation Centre will undertake the development and deployment of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in critical sectors.
3. IndiaAI Datasets Platform: The IndiaAI Datasets Platform will streamline access to quality non-personal datasets for AI Innovation. A unified data platform will be developed to provide a one-stop solution for seamless access to non-personal datasets to Indian startups and researchers.
4. IndiaAI Application Development Initiative: The IndiaAI Application Development Initiative will promote AI applications in critical sectors for the problem statements sourced from Central Ministries, State Departments, and other institutions. The initiative will focus on developing/scaling/promoting the adoption of impactful AI solutions with the potential for catalysing large-scale socio-economic transformation.
5. IndiaAI FutureSkills: IndiaAI FutureSkills is conceptualised to mitigate barriers to entry into AI programmes and will increase AI courses in undergraduate, Masters level, and Ph.D. programmes. Further, Data and AI Labs will be set up in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India to impart foundational-level courses.
6. IndiaAI Startup Financing: The IndiaAI Startup Financing pillar is conceptualised to support and accelerate deep-tech AI startups and provide them with streamlined access to funding to enable futuristic AI projects.
7. Safe & Trusted AI: Recognising the need for adequate guardrails to advance the responsible development, deployment, and adoption of AI, the Safe & Trusted AI pillar will enable the implementation of responsible AI projects including the development of indigenous tools and frameworks, self-assessment checklists for innovators, and other guidelines and governance frameworks.
According to the government, IndiaAI Mission will drive forward creativity and enhance internal capabilities, safeguarding India's technological autonomy. Additionally, it aims to generate employment opportunities that require advanced skills, tapping into the country's demographic advantage.
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