In the global race for artificial intelligence supremacy, India is not just catching up—it’s scripting its own story. Experts believe that unlike the Valley’s high-cost, high-spec path, India is carving out an inclusive, grassroots-driven trajectory that fuses cutting-edge technology with the nation’s socio-cultural complexity.
A Rs 10,300 crore mission for AI sovereignty
In March 2024, the Indian government approved the ambitious Rs 10,300 crore IndiaAI Mission, aiming to bolster the country’s AI capabilities over five years. This mission focuses on developing AI computing infrastructure, nurturing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top global AI talent, and supercharging the startup ecosystem. As three leading AI thinkers observe, this uniquely Indian AI playbook may soon emerge as one of the country’s most transformative exports.
“India’s AI ascent isn’t a replay of Silicon Valley; it’s an entirely new screenplay,” notes Drumil Joshi, Monitoring & Diagnostics Analyst at Southern Power Company USA. He emphasises how India turns its supposed constraints—like tight budgets and linguistic diversity—into algorithmic strengths. Farmers forecasting micro-climates via voice, clinicians triaging patients on edge devices, and artisans marketing globally via vernacular chatbots reflect a model of AI that is low-cost, high-impact, and deeply local.
“By linking open‑source governance rails like Aadhaar, UPI, ONDC to the age‑old spirit of jugaad, the nation turns linguistic diversity and tight budgets into algorithmic advantages. Farmers forecast micro‑climates by voice, clinicians triage rural emergencies on edge devices, and artisans reach global buyers through vernacular chatbots. This home‑grown formula for scalable, affordable intelligence could soon rank among India’s most influential exports,” Joshi explained.
Aspirational India meets artificial intelligence
Sumit Gupta, a seasoned data leader and author, calls this trajectory “Artificial Intelligence powered by Aspirational India.” He spotlights the government’s Rs 10,300 crore IndiaAI Mission, which is anchoring the creation of large language models like Bhashini, fine-tuned for India’s linguistic complexity.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concept of Double AI captures the essence accurately – Artificial Intelligence coupled with Aspirational India. India is building its own indigenous LLM like Bhashini which supports multilingual capabilities vital for a diverse population like ours where the dialect changes every 500 KMs,” Gupta said.
Kumaresan Mudliar, a product leader and technologist, believes India’s AI strategy is about “democratising AI”—making it run in regional languages, on affordable hardware, and for previously underserved sectors like MSMEs and gig workers. “This isn’t Silicon Valley’s version of AI. It’s India-first, equity-first innovation,” he said.
“What sets India apart is our focus on democratising AI—building tools that work in regional languages, on low-end devices, and for sectors like MSMEs, gig workers, and rural governance. We’re witnessing the rise of hyper-local AI—chatbots for labor compliance, agri-advisors for farmers, and personalised learning for students,” Mudliar explained.
India’s global template for equitable AI
Together, these voices point to a seismic shift: India isn’t just adopting AI; it’s adapting it—to its realities, its people, and its aspirations. With the right support, this home-grown, inclusive model of intelligence might just become a global template for equitable AI.
