Risk Of Not Investing In AI Is Greater Than Investing In AI: CEO, IndiaAI Mission

In a bid to foster innovation in artificial intelligence and drive the country towards becoming a global AI hub, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), through the IndiaAI Mission, an Independent Business Division, launched the AI Innovation Challenge last month that has received a very good response and numerous submissions across the sectors and challenge statements.

The challenge is open to Indian innovators, startups, non-profits, students, academia and research organisations.

Winners will get an award of up to INR 1 Cr and the opportunity to deploy the solution nationwide.

The challenge is a part of the Applications Development Initiative under the IndiaAI Mission which will be launching problem statements from various sectors as an ongoing initiative.

Discussing the challenge, Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary of MeitY, told Inc42 that the government “wants to encourage even college students—those in their second or third year—to be part of this mission.”

“They don’t need to have a company to participate. If they succeed, we’ll help them set up a company and give them the startup support they need,” he said.

Leveraging AI To Transform Public Services

The challenge is part of a broader strategy of the IndiaAI Mission to fill gaps in the Indian AI ecosystem.

The INR 10,372 Cr Mission was approved by the Union Cabinet earlier this year. It is largely based on a public-private partnership model and focuses on seven areas – computing, foundational models, datasets, applications, skill development, startups, and safe AI.

Singh told Inc42 that the Mission has already issued Request for Proposals (RFPs) for computing infrastructure, data labs are being established, fellowships applications for B.Tech and M.Tech students have been received, startup support mechanisms are being enabled along with a datasets platform, safe AI tools, and collaborations with research institutions on foundational models ongoing.

He said that computing resources will be available for all by the end of this year, with the first set of use cases expected by the end of the financial year 2024-25 (FY25).

Earlier this month, MeitY Secretary Shri S Krishnan said that the government may look at viability gap funding (VGF) to create more “compute capacity” once the compute capability has been built under the IndiaAI Mission.

VGF is a financial support scheme that aims to make economically desirable but commercially unfeasible projects into reality.

Besides acting as an enabler, the government aims to use AI for governance. One of the themes of the AI Innovation Challenge is governance itself, with an objective to make it easier for citizens to know about and take benefits of government schemes by using AI.

For example, Singh pointed out that navigating government portals can often be overwhelming for citizens, and even officials may not always know which departments are responsible for specific schemes.

“Generative AI can help organise and present this information in a user-friendly, voice-enabled manner,” he explained.

For instance, farmers could easily access mandi (market) prices simply by making a voice call instead of navigating a complex website. Similarly, citizens could get information about scholarships, subsidies, and blood availability in hospitals using AI-driven interfaces, ensuring that such vital information is always accessible.

In the education sector, the government is working on developing personalised learning plans to enhance education using AI.

Singh believes that AI can help identify specific topics where students struggle, allowing for personalised support. Additionally, it can simplify doubt clarification by enabling students to send questions or images, reducing the need for generalised tutoring.

The government is also planning to provide education in local languages with the help of AI. For instance, AI can create lessons and videos in students’ mother tongues, allowing them to study in languages other than English or Hindi.

 Big Tech & Commercialisation of AI

When asked about the government’s plans to create a level playing field in the Indian AI ecosystem, given that big tech companies have an upper hand in the sector, Singh said that startups are to be given opportunities through subsidised access to computing resources and funding support for application development under the startup financing vertical.

Furthermore, Singh believes that while the current hype around AI often centers on artificial general intelligence (AGI) and tools like ChatGPT, the government’s focus is on solving real-world problems.

“We see no conflict with big tech’s direction. They can pursue their interests while we harness the potential of researchers, academics, and startups to develop use cases that enhance our digital public infrastructure,” said Singh.

In his opinion, AI will act as a layer over the digital infrastructure, delivering tangible benefits to end users.

Additionally, the IndiaAI Mission is looking at successful incubation models, like the US-based Y Combinator, to strengthen connections between academia and industry to foster innovation.

Singh stated that the Mission aims to create opportunities so that research can transition to commercial solutions. According to him, institutes like IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Delhi are already incubating companies, and the Mission wants to extend similar opportunities across the nation.

However, will the rising use of Al lead to job losses? Singh has mixed opinions and highlighted the importance of upskilling.

“Basic content writing and coding jobs may be replaced, but for those who acquire AI skills, their work will become much more efficient and they will be paid more. This is why we must focus on reskilling and upskilling,” he said.

According to him, India already has the world’s largest AI-trained workforce and can harness the potential of AI.

“With the right tools, computing power, and datasets, Indian innovators can create real magic,” Singh said, adding that “the risk of not investing in AI is greater than the risk of investing in it”.

(With inputs from Nikhil Subramaniam)