Union Cabinet Greenlights Rs 10,371.92 Crore India AI Mission
The Union Cabinet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the nod to the ambitious artificial intelligence (AI) Mission, allocating a substantial sum of Rs 10,371.92 crore for its implementation over the next five years.
One of the pivotal aspects of the ‘India AI Mission’ is its provision to subsidize private companies intending to establish AI computing capacity within the country through a dedicated fund. Additionally, seed funding will be extended to nurture AI start-ups. The total budget allocation for the AI Mission stands at Rs 10,371.92 crore, signifying the government’s commitment to fostering AI development.
Empowering AI Ecosystem Through Computing Infrastructure
Speaking to the press after the Cabinet meeting, Union Minister Piyush Goyal revealed that the approved corpus will be utilized to develop a robust computing infrastructure. This infrastructure includes the provision of supercomputing capacity, comprising over 10,000 GPU, which will be accessible to various stakeholders. Start-ups, academia, researchers, and industry players will benefit from the AI supercomputing infrastructure established under the India AI Mission.
National Data Management Officer and Enhanced Data Quality
As part of the mission, a National Data Management Officer will be appointed to collaborate with different government departments and ministries. This collaboration aims to enhance data quality and accessibility for AI development and deployment, ensuring that high-quality data is available for analysis and innovation.
PM Modi’s Vision for AI Development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who announced the AI Mission last year, emphasized its goal of establishing sufficient AI compute power in India. This initiative seeks to provide superior facilities to the country’s burgeoning start-up ecosystem and innovators, fostering a conducive environment for AI-driven innovation and growth.
Promoting AI Applications Across Key Sectors
The India AI Mission will actively promote AI applications in critical sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and education. By leveraging AI technology, the government aims to address various challenges and enhance efficiency and productivity across these sectors, ultimately benefiting the citizens.
Focus Areas of the AI Mission
The government’s focus under the AI Mission spans four key areas:
| 1. AI Research | 2. Funding Start-ups for AI Chip Design | 3. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for Data Centers | 4. Creating Government Computing Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mission emphasizes advancing AI research to drive innovation and technological breakthroughs. | Start-ups specializing in designing bespoke chips for AI applications will receive funding support, fostering innovation in hardware development. | Private companies seeking to establish data centers in India for AI use cases will receive viability gap funding to facilitate infrastructure development. | The government will create computing capacity within its infrastructure to leverage AI technology for enhanced governance and service delivery. |
The India AI Mission represents a significant stride towards harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence for India’s socio-economic development. With substantial financial backing and a strategic focus on key sectors and areas, the mission is poised to propel India into the forefront of AI innovation and adoption.