What is 'India AI Mission' and why it matters
The Indian government has given green light to 'India AI Mission,' a five-year plan with budget of Rs. 10,371.92 crore. Union Minister Piyush Goyal shared the news during a cabinet briefing, highlighting importance of fostering a strong AI environment in India. The 'IndiaAI' Independent Business Division under Digital India Corporation will oversee the mission, which seeks to create a comprehensive ecosystem that encourages AI innovation through strategic collaborations and initiatives.
Mission components and employment opportunities
The India AI Mission consists of eight key elements, such as IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre, and a dataset platform. The goal is to create high-skilled job opportunities through this mission. The government plans to expand AI compute infrastructure by adding 10,000 or more Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) via public-private partnerships. Additionally, an AI marketplace will be developed to provide AI as a service and pre-trained models for AI innovators, serving as a one-stop-shop for essential AI innovation resources.
Education initiatives and expansion to Tier 2, Tier 3 cities
To further AI education, government will launch an initiative named 'IndiaAI FutureSkills.' It will reduce barriers to entry for AI programs and increase AI course offerings at undergraduate, masters, and research levels. India AI Mission also involves establishing Data and AI Labs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. These innovation centers will focus on developing and deploying indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in crucial sectors. This will ensure inclusive growth within India's AI ecosystem.
India AI Mission to boost investments for sector growth
The biggest advantage from India AI Mission would be the government's support to companies that want to expand their computing capacities. The mission will allocate funds to subsidize private companies that set up AI computing capacity in India. This will benefit start-ups and researchers working on AI models by providing them with access to powerful computers. The Indian government hopes that this will lead to advancements in generative AI.