Centre outlines nationwide push to democratise AI access

The Centre is advancing a comprehensive strategy to democratise access to artificial intelligence (AI) resources, skills and technology across the country, positioning AI as a key pillar of India’s development roadmap and its vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

According to official details released on February 10, the Centre is expanding access to affordable computing power, datasets, models, connectivity, energy and skills to ensure AI benefits are widely shared. More than 38,000 GPUs have been made available at a subsidised rate of ₹65 per hour, while fifth-generation (5G) mobile services now cover 99.9 percent of districts, supporting scalable AI infrastructure nationwide. The national AI platform AIKosh currently hosts over 7,500 datasets and 273 AI models as shared public resources.

Artificial intelligence is being integrated into governance and public service delivery across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing, climate action and administration. The democratisation of AI depends on equitable access to computing power, data repositories and model ecosystems, enabling participation by startups, researchers, public institutions and innovators across regions.

The India–AI Impact Summit 2026 will be held from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The summit, the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South, will bring together global leaders, policymakers, technology companies and experts to deliberate on inclusive growth, governance and sustainable development through AI.

India’s AI ecosystem currently employs over six million people. A NITI Aayog report titled AI for Inclusive Societal Development, released in October 2025, highlighted AI’s potential to empower India’s 490 million informal workers by expanding access to services, markets and financial systems.

AI applications are already being deployed across sectors. In agriculture, AI supports weather prediction, pest risk identification, irrigation guidance and sowing decisions. Platforms such as Kisan e Mitra enable access to government schemes, while the National Pest Surveillance System and Crop Health Monitoring systems use satellite and weather data. In healthcare, AI supports early disease detection, medical image analysis and telemedicine services.

Language access is being expanded through Bhashini, an AI-powered translation and speech platform supporting over 36 languages. Since its launch in July 2022, Bhashini has crossed 1.2 million downloads, integrates over 350 AI models and serves more than 450 active customers.

AI is also being used for disaster preparedness. The India Meteorological Department applies AI to rainfall, fog and extreme weather forecasting, while the Advanced Dvorak Technique supports cyclone intensity assessment. MausamGPT is under development to provide real-time advisories.

As of January 2026, India ranks among the top three startup ecosystems globally, with over two lakh startups. Nearly 90 percent are estimated to be AI-powered in some form.

To expand AI infrastructure, the Centre is pursuing a full-stack approach covering applications, models, compute, infrastructure and energy. Approved in March 2024 with an outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore over five years, the IndiaAI Mission focuses on expanding access to compute, strengthening data availability and enabling responsible AI use.

Access to datasets and models is being expanded through AIKosh, which, as of February 2026, hosts 7,541 datasets and 273 AI models across 20 sectors. By December 2025, the platform had recorded over 3.85 lakh visits, 11,000 registered users and 26,000 downloads.

India is developing large multimodal AI models trained on Indian data and languages. Under the IndiaAI Mission, more than 500 proposals were received, and 12 startups were selected across two phases, including Sarvam AI, Soket AI, Gnani AI, Gan AI, Avaatar AI, BharatGen led by IIT Bombay, Zenteiq, Gen Loop, Intellihealth, Shodh AI, Fractal Analytics and Tech Mahindra Maker’s Lab.

To address compute constraints, over 38,000 high-end GPUs and 1,050 TPUs have been onboarded under the IndiaAI Mission. High-performance computing capacity exceeding 40 petaflops has been deployed under the National Supercomputing Mission across IITs, IISERs and research institutions. Systems such as PARAM Siddhi-AI and AIRAWAT support applications including language processing, weather prediction and drug discovery.

To strengthen domestic chip capabilities, the Centre is expanding the semiconductor ecosystem. The India Semiconductor Mission, with an outlay of ₹76,000 crore, supports manufacturing, design and talent development. As of December 2025, 10 projects with cumulative investments of around ₹1.60 lakh crore had been approved across six states. India’s chip market is projected to reach $100–110 billion by 2030.

The Union Budget 2026–27 announced India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 with a provision of ₹1,000 crore for FY 2026–27, focusing on industry-led research and training centres.

Connectivity remains a key enabler. As of October 2025, 5.08 lakh 5G base transceiver stations had been installed nationwide, with 5G services available in 99.9 percent of districts. India’s cloud data centre capacity stands at approximately 1,280 MW and is expected to grow four to five times by 2030.

Global investments include a $15 billion AI hub by Google in Visakhapatnam and an $8.3 billion data centre investment by Amazon Web Services in Maharashtra. India hosts nearly 20 percent of the world’s data, with major data centre hubs in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi NCR.

Reliable energy supply underpins AI infrastructure. India achieved 50 percent of its cumulative installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources in June 2025. Renewable energy capacity reached 253.96 GW by November 2025, with 44.5 GW added in 2025 alone. Nuclear capacity stands at 8.78 GW and is projected to rise to 22.38 GW by 2031–32 under the SHANTI Act 2025.

On the policy front, the Centre has strengthened digital foundations through MeghRaj, the government cloud platform, which hosts applications for 2,170 ministries and departments as of December 2025. Data governance is supported by the Government Open Data License India and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.

Skilling remains a key focus. The Centre has established Centres of Excellence, launched the Skilling for AI Readiness programme for school students and educators, expanded vocational training under the Craftsmen Training Scheme, implemented the YUVAi programme, introduced an AI Competency Framework for officials, and provided fellowships under the IndiaAI Mission.

International cooperation is being advanced through the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, which will host 15–20 Heads of Government, over 50 international ministers and more than 100 global and Indian CXOs. A key initiative under the summit is the Democratizing AI Resources Working Group, co-chaired by India, Egypt and Kenya, to promote equitable access to AI resources.

The Centre said its approach aims to ensure that AI-driven progress remains inclusive, scalable and sustainable, strengthening innovation while reducing inequalities.