AI Roadmap for Viksit Bharat: India Bets on Responsible Innovation for Trillion-Dollar Growth

India has taken a major step in integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its economic strategy with the launch of two key initiatives—“AI for Viksit Bharat: Roadmap for Accelerated Economic Growth” and the NITI Frontier Tech Repository. The announcements were made in New Delhi by Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, in the presence of NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, and NASSCOM President Debjani Ghosh.

The launches mark a significant push to position AI as a driver of India’s growth ambitions under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, with a focus on responsible, inclusive, and sustainable innovation.

Why AI Matters for India’s Growth

Global estimates suggest AI could add $17–26 trillion to the world economy in the next decade. With its digital public infrastructure, strong STEM talent base, and young workforce, India is well-placed to capture 10–15% of this global opportunity. That translates to a potential $1.4–1.7 trillion boost to India’s GDP over the coming years.

The roadmap positions AI as a key lever to help India meet its ambitious $8.3 trillion GDP target by 2030. As Sitharaman noted, AI must support both urban aspirations and rural development, but its growth must be guided by responsible regulation.

Two Pillars of the Roadmap

The plan outlines two major levers to achieve this AI-driven growth:

1. Adoption Across Industries

   • Improve productivity and efficiency across sectors.

   • Lower costs and improve access in underserved markets.

   • Unlock new value pools domestically and globally.

   • Contribution to GDP growth: 30–35%.

2. Innovation Through Generative AI

   • Accelerate research-to-market cycles.

   • Disrupt legacy value chains with new models.

   • Open new innovation-driven markets.

   • Contribution to GDP growth: 20–30%.

Vaishnaw underlined that AI, quantum computing, and semiconductors are no longer optional for any aspiring developed nation—they are essential to growth and competitiveness.

18 Sectors in Focus

The roadmap identifies 18 high-potential sectors for AI applications, including:

• Finance: Fraud detection, credit scoring, and financial inclusion.

• Healthcare: Diagnostics, precision treatment, rural telemedicine.

• Education: Personalized learning systems, adaptive tutoring.

• Manufacturing: Predictive maintenance, smart factories.

• Biopharma: Drug discovery and clinical trials.

• Agriculture: Smart farming and crop forecasting.

• Energy: Smart grids and renewable energy optimization.

• Automotive: Green mobility and autonomous systems.

To support adoption, India will develop regulatory sandboxes, shared AI utilities, and open-source frameworks to lower entry barriers and encourage investment.

Knowledge Sharing: NITI Frontier Tech Repository

Complementing the roadmap, the NITI Frontier Tech Repository will act as a knowledge hub of over 200 real-world tech use cases across AI, IoT, robotics, and other frontier technologies. Each case study highlights problems solved, solutions applied, outcomes achieved, and potential for scalability.

The repository is meant to connect challenges with solutions while encouraging states, startups, and enterprises to replicate impactful models.

The launch also saw the announcement of the Frontier Tech State Impact Awards, which will recognize states deploying frontier technologies effectively in governance, healthcare, and education.

Building Skills and Infrastructure

The roadmap stresses the importance of AI-focused skilling and reskilling. The government aims to modernize Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) under a hub-and-spoke model, making them AI-ready centers to prepare millions for new-age jobs.

Sitharaman urged states to utilize funds available for ITI modernization, highlighting that bridging the skills gap is central to sustainable adoption.

On infrastructure, Vaishnaw pointed to India’s semiconductor mission, launched in 2022, with 278 institutions already working on chip design and research. Strong hardware capacity, he said, is critical for AI to scale.

Balancing Innovation and Responsibility

While optimism runs high, both ministers emphasized the importance of responsible AI regulation. Sitharaman stressed that as AI evolves rapidly, policy frameworks must keep pace to ensure technology benefits society while preventing misuse.

Economic Impact and Global Role

According to NITI Aayog’s projections, the roadmap could unlock $1.0–1.4 trillion in economic value through productivity gains, exports, and job creation. It could also establish India as a global hub for AI-driven innovation, creating millions of jobs and boosting competitiveness in international markets.

Debjani Ghosh observed that India has the opportunity not only to catch up but to set new benchmarks in responsible AI adoption.

Towards Viksit Bharat 2047

The roadmap aligns with the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, built on three pillars:

• Inclusive Growth: Extending AI benefits across rural and urban India.

• Sustainable Growth: Leveraging AI for climate resilience, renewable energy, and green mobility.

• Global Leadership: Becoming a responsible exporter of AI innovations.

The vision is clear—AI is not just a tool for economic gains but a foundation for India’s journey to developed nation status by its centenary of independence.

The launch of the AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap and the NITI Frontier Tech Repository signals India’s intent to lead with responsible, inclusive, and democratized AI adoption. With the right balance of adoption, innovation, skills, infrastructure, and regulation, India could unlock a trillion-dollar opportunity and set global benchmarks in AI-driven development.

As Sitharaman summed up: “AI can power India’s development agenda like never before. But we must ensure it is adoption with purpose, innovation with responsibility, and growth with inclusion.”