As India enters a decisive phase in its digital and economic transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as the central pillar driving innovation, productivity, and inclusive growth. No longer confined to tech labs and research institutions, AI is now influencing policy, industry, and even grassroots governance. From farming fields to financial corridors, India is rapidly aligning its digital future around AI-led disruption.
“AI for Bharat”: A National Agenda with Regional Depth
At the recent ET Soonicorns Summit, the theme “AI for Bharat” underscored a significant shift in the startup ecosystem—from building for scale to building for India’s deepest problems. This philosophy is now echoed across state and central government strategies.
For example, Gujarat’s AI Roadmap outlines a multi-sectoral plan to integrate AI in manufacturing, education, and public service delivery. The state is planning AI Centres of Excellence in universities, incentives for AI-based startups, and pilot projects in smart urban governance. These initiatives aim to create an AI-driven ecosystem that attracts both domestic and global investment.
Similarly, Maharashtra has taken a lead in applying AI to agriculture through its ₹500‑crore ‘MahaAgri‑AI Policy’. The state intends to transform the agrarian economy by deploying AI-enabled solutions such as:
Smart drones for precision spraying and pest detection,
IoT sensors to monitor soil health and irrigation needs,
Voice-based assistants in Marathi to guide farmers on crop cycles and government schemes,
Blockchain-backed supply chain solutions for farm-to-fork traceability and fair pricing.
These tools not only improve yield but also reduce dependency on outdated methods, bridging the rural-urban tech divide.
Localized AI by Global Giants: Google Leads the Way
India’s AI aspirations received a boost from Google I/O Connect India, where the tech giant launched Gemini 2.5 Flash, an ultra-fast multimodal AI model fine-tuned for Indian use cases. What makes it transformative is its data residency compliance—meaning that developers in sensitive domains like healthcare, fintech, and insurance can now build AI products that adhere to India’s strict data protection norms.
In particular, the model is designed to:
Understand regional languages and cultural nuances,
Deliver real-time translations for telehealth and edtech platforms,
Power lightweight AI apps that run on mid-tier smartphones—a key need in India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.
This democratization of AI not only boosts innovation but also ensures that India’s vast digital public infrastructure, including platforms like UPI, ONDC, and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, can be layered with intelligent services.
Catalyzing Startups and Deep Tech
India is now home to over 100+ AI startups, with sectors like legal tech, medtech, agritech, and supply chain seeing exponential AI adoption. The upcoming IndiaAI Mission—expected to be backed by a ₹10,000 crore corpus—aims to fund AI research, startups, and talent development.
This dovetails with India’s push to:
Set up AI computing infrastructure akin to national datacenters,
Promote open-source foundation models tailored to Indian datasets,
Launch global AI challenges from India, attracting cross-border collaboration.
Conclusion: India’s Tryst with Responsible AI
India’s AI journey is not just about competitiveness—it is about inclusiveness, scalability, and responsibility. With grassroots implementation, government-industry collaboration, and strong ethical frameworks being discussed at forums like the G20 and Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), India is shaping a model where AI serves not just profits, but people.
In the coming years, AI is expected to contribute up to $1 trillion to India’s GDP by 2035, according to NASSCOM and other estimates. If implemented wisely, this could be the single most important lever in India’s rise as a global digital powerhouse.
AI for Bharat is no longer a slogan—it’s becoming India’s lived reality.
