New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has officially greenlit the India Artificial Intelligence Mission with an investment of Rs 10,371.92 crore over the next five years. Announced in New Delhi by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, the initiative aims to escalate India’s computing infrastructure through public-private partnerships.
About 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) will be provided to startups, along with the establishment of an AI marketplace, making them accessible as a service for research and development facilities and burgeoning startups. The initiative is also expected to benefit universities and academic institutions dedicated to AI research.
Goyal said, “This compute capacity will help us take a big leap in AI in the coming years.”
Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The focus is on developing the entire ecosystem, from compute power to models, from applications to talent, and from data platform to regulatory framework.” Vaishnaw also indicated the ambition to develop an AI chip within five years.
Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, called AI the kinetic enabler for the digital economy of India. “This financial outlay will fortify the IndiaAI Startup Financing mechanism, facilitating streamlined access to funding for budding AI startups and catalysing their journey from product development to commercialisation,” he added.
The startup community has long advocated for GPU accessibility due to its scarcity and cost. With countries like the UK and Saudi Arabia investing in GPUs to gain a competitive advantage, India’s investment is expected to elevate its startups in the global AI landscape.
Additionally, the mission plans to establish two to three innovation centres focused on developing large multimodal and domain-specific foundational models. It also includes the creation of an India AI datasets platform to facilitate non-personal data sharing among startups and researchers, further driving AI innovation.
The initiative extends to the development of AI applications in critical sectors, skill development in AI through the Kaushal Vikas Yojana, and early-stage financing for deeptech AI startups. It aims to ensure the development of safe and trusted AI, with a governance framework in place for fostering innovation.
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