New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has granted approval for the national IndiaAI mission, signaling a substantial investment of ₹10,371.92 crore. This ambitious initiative is designed to propel India into the forefront of global Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation, focusing on the development of large language models, the establishment of robust AI infrastructure, and the upskilling of the country's workforce.

The IndiaAI Mission aims to position the nation as a key player in AI, intending to achieve this by spearheading initiatives such as the creation of computing infrastructure with over 10,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) in collaboration with the private sector. Additionally, the mission plans to launch an AI datasets platform, providing startups and researchers access to non-personal data, and implementing various measures to foster innovation across sectors.

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) issued a statement following the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the mission's goal to act as a comprehensive resource hub for AI innovation.

"The Prime Minister has democratised technology. With the AI mission, we will now make computer power available to innovators, start-ups, students, and educational institutions," remarked Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Information Technology.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Meity, and also responsible for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, emphasized the transformative potential of AI in India's digital economy. "AI is going to be the kinetic enabler for India’s digital economy. Prime Minister 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," he stated.

To bolster computing capacity within the country, the mission plans to establish an AI marketplace, offering AI as a service and pre-trained models to innovators. Additionally, an IndiaAI Innovation Centre will be set up to develop and deploy indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in critical sectors.

This strategic move aligns with global efforts to regulate the development and use of AI technologies, as witnessed by the rapid emergence of tools like ChatGPT. The IndiaAI website cites projections that the country's AI market is expected to reach $7.8 billion by 2025.

The mission also addresses recommendations from a government working group released last year, which proposed the monetization of non-personal data through a marketplace. This aligns with the vision of the India Dataset Platform (IDP), a marketplace designed to drive AI development while preserving privacy.

In addition to infrastructure and innovation, the IndiaAI Mission places a significant emphasis on education. It aims to increase the number of AI courses at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels through IndiaAI FutureSkills. Data and AI Labs will be established in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, offering foundation-level courses to broaden access.

As revolutionary AI tools continue to emerge globally, nations are compelled to explore governance strategies while staying abreast of innovations. The IndiaAI Mission recognizes the need for responsible development, deployment, and adoption of AI, emphasizing the Safe & Trusted AI pillar to implement guidelines and governance frameworks.

This substantial investment and strategic focus on AI mark a pivotal moment for India as it aspires to lead the world in the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.

ALSO READ: Centre approves Rs 10,000 crore industrial scheme to transform Northeast