India's AI Approach Rooted in Citizen Empowerment, Trust: Jitin Prasada

Union Minister Jitin Prasada highlighted India's AI strategy, emphasizing citizen empowerment and 'Jan Bhagidari'. The IndiaAI Mission aims to make AI benefits trusted and experienced by all citizens through structured engagement and inclusive innovation.

Citizen-Centric AI Vision

Union Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada said that India's approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rooted in citizen empowerment, trust, and inclusive innovation. He also outlined the country's vision at the AI Impact Summit 2026 In a post on the Ministry's X profile, the Minister emphasised that AI will meaningfully shape the future only when its benefits are widely understood, trusted, and directly experienced by citizens.

He underlined that India's AI strategy is anchored in Jan Bhagidari, positioning citizens as active participants in the technological transformation. "Artificial Intelligence will shape the future only when its benefits are understood, trusted, and experienced by citizens themselves. India's approach to AI is anchored in Jan Bhagidari, positioning citizens as active participants in this transformation. Through the India-AI Impact Summit and the IndiaAI Mission, we are enabling structured engagement across states, communities, startups, academia, and civil society to broaden access to innovation. By grounding AI in real public needs and lived realities, India is demonstrating to the world how citizen engagement can guide responsible, inclusive, and impactful AI development for the world," the X post read.

Collaborative Roadmap and Impact Agenda

Through initiatives such as the India AI Impact Summit and the IndiaAI Mission, the government is enabling structured engagement across states, communities, startups, academia and civil society.

Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at MeitY, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, and Director General of NIC, highlighted the breadth and diversity of perspectives shaping India's AI roadmap. Singh described the Impact Agenda as a compendium reflecting voices from across sectors -- including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, energy, and mobility -- as well as stakeholders ranging from industry leaders and venture capitalists to startups, research institutions, and civil society organisations.

"The Impact Agenda reflects the breadth and diversity of perspectives shaping the global future of Artificial Intelligence," Singh said. He emphasised that contributions span foundational models and infrastructure to public services, sustainability, and inclusion, with strong representation from diverse leadership.

IndiaAI Mission: Democratising Technology

India's AI strategy is based on the Prime Minister's vision to democratise the use of technology. It aims to address India-centric challenges and create economic and employment opportunities for all Indians.

In March 2024, the Government of India launched the IndiaAI mission with an outlay of Rs 10,372 Cr for the development of the overall AI ecosystem in the country.

Mission Achievements and Progress

In less than 24 months, India AI Mission has set up a foundation for the development of the AI ecosystem in the country. More than 38 thousand GPUs for a common compute facility have been onboarded, which are being provided to Indian start-ups and academia at an affordable rate. Twelve teams have been shortlisted for the development of indigenous foundational models or Large Language Models. Thirty applications have been approved for developing India-specific AI applications. More than 8000 undergraduate students, 5000 postgraduate students, and 500 PhD students are being supported for talent development.27 India Data and AI labs have been established, and 543 more have been identified.

Global AI Summit in 2026

India is now set to host the India AI Impact Summit from February 16-20, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, bringing together governments, industry leaders, researchers, startups, students, and citizens from across the world. (ANI)

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