Union Cabinet Approves ₹10,372 Cr ‘India AI’ Mission to Foster Technological Growth

New Delhi: In a significant push towards technological advancement, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a ₹10,371.92 crore AI Mission aimed at establishing a comprehensive ecosystem for artificial intelligence (AI) development in the country. This ambitious initiative aims to establish a robust AI computing infrastructure through a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Under the mission, named India AI, the government will support the development and deployment of advanced AI models, encourage AI applications in critical sectors, and foster deeptech AI startups.

Moreover, the program will focus on implementing responsible AI projects and addressing barriers to entry in AI programs. It will also expand AI education by increasing courses at undergraduate, master’s, and PhD levels.

Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, emphasized the importance of AI, stating that this program will position India as a significant player in shaping the future of AI globally.

In January, Chandrasekhar had announced the government’s intention to seek Cabinet approval for setting up supercomputing and quantum hubs worth over Rs 10,000 crore. These hubs will include GPU installations in public-private partnership mode and utilize C-DAC’s PARAM supercomputers to enhance AI computing capacity.

This move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement in December 2023 to launch an AI mission to empower startups and innovators to address challenges in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and education.