The government of India is accelerating its AI-driven skilling and innovation initiatives, with significant progress in the India AI Mission. The Ministry of Electronics & IT announced on Wednesday that the Government has received 67 proposals from startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs focused on building indigenous AI models. This development aligns with the IndiaAI Mission’s goal of promoting AI for all, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to democratize technology across all sectors.
India has cemented its position as a global leader in AI capabilities and skilling, ranking among the top four countries in the AI vibrancy ranking alongside the US, China, and the UK, according to Stanford University. GitHub has also placed India at the forefront, contributing 24% of global AI projects. As the skills capital in technology and artificial intelligence, the country is set to build on this momentum through various government-led initiatives.
A major pillar of the IndiaAI Mission is the IndiaAI Innovation Centre, which launched a call for proposals in January, encouraging AI research and development. The 67 proposals received focus on Large Language Models (LLMs), Large Multimodal Models (LMMs), and domain-specific models aimed at sectors like healthcare, education, and financial services. The initiative is set to boost India’s indigenous AI capabilities.
In addition, the Digital India Bhashini initiative, under MeitY, is advancing AI-powered vernacular language accessibility. This platform provides AI-driven language solutions in all 22 Scheduled Indian languages, enabling speech recognition, machine translation, and text-to-speech services, further enhancing digital inclusion across India.
In partnership with Meta, IndiaAI has launched the “Srijan” Centre for Generative AI at IIT Jodhpur and introduced the “YuvAi Initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building” in collaboration with AICTE. This initiative aims to empower young professionals in AI research and development, contributing to India’s mission of tech sovereignty.
Several other government-led programs, such as the FutureSkills Prime program and the Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme, are providing reskilling, upskilling, and research support in AI, cybersecurity, and other emerging technologies.
IndiaAI also plans to set up Data and AI Labs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, further expanding opportunities for AI education and innovation across the country. These initiatives reflect the government’s commitment to building a robust AI ecosystem while ensuring responsible development and safeguarding against risks posed by AI technologies.
