India’s artificial intelligence (AI) journey in 2025 is marked by a democratised approach called AI for All. The government has launched multiple initiatives such as IndiaAI Mission, IndiaAI Compute, and IndiaAI FutureSkills to build a robust AI ecosystem. Start-ups like Krutrim and Sarvam AI are developing large language models (LLMs) focused on Indian languages and contexts. India is also creating foundational AI models on domestic infrastructure, aiming for strategic autonomy in this critical technology.
Government Initiatives and Start-up Ecosystem
The government’s IndiaAI platform supports innovation, skills, financing, and application development in AI. Start-ups like Krutrim have developed foundational LLMs trained on Indian languages. Their AI assistant Kruti provides conversational AI services. Sarvam AI focuses on generative AI for Bharat and launched models like Sarvam-M. These efforts show India’s push towards self-reliance in AI technology.
Challenges in AI Hardware and Infrastructure
India faces constraints in accessing advanced AI chips due to geopolitical factors and export controls. Being in tier-II for chip exports limits the quantity of high-end chips available. The global surge in demand for AI chips pressures manufacturers. The cost of GPU infrastructure remains high. India may need to establish large-scale funding and explore domestic chip manufacturing to overcome these hurdles.
AI’s Potential in Indian Agriculture
Agriculture employs nearly 46.1% of India’s population, making it a prime sector for AI adoption. Farmers face challenges such as climate change, shrinking land, degraded resources, and volatile markets. Low productivity threatens incomes and food security. AI can offer personalised crop advisories, diagnostics, and input planning to improve yields and sustainability.
ITC’s MAARS Platform – A Model for AI in Agriculture
ITC’s MAARS (Meta Market for Advanced Agricultural Rural Services) is a phygital platform combining physical reach with digital intelligence. It provides AI-enabled personalised crop advice, image-based diagnostics, precision input planning, and real-time market access. Over two million farmers across 11 states have benefited. This platform supports national goals like doubling farmer incomes and promoting sustainable farming.
AI’s Broader Impact Across Sectors
AI is transforming healthcare, education, urban development, financial services, logistics, and environmental sustainability. India’s digital-ready population across all social strata provides a fertile ground for AI adoption. Intelligent platforms must offer hyper-personalised, multilingual services suited to diverse regional needs. This will help India harness AI’s full potential for inclusive growth.
Strategic Autonomy and Future Prospects
Developing AI models on domestic infrastructure ensures India’s control over critical technology. This reduces reliance on foreign technologies and builds strategic autonomy. With the right infrastructure, funding, and innovation, India can lead in AI applications tailored for its unique challenges. The focus remains on empowering citizens and sectors like agriculture to achieve self-reliance.
Questions for UPSC:
- Critically analyse the role of artificial intelligence in transforming Indian agriculture with suitable examples.
- Explain the challenges posed by global semiconductor supply chains on India’s technological self-reliance and suggest possible solutions.
- What are the implications of digital readiness in India for the successful adoption of emerging technologies like AI? Discuss with reference to socio-economic diversity.
- Underline the significance of strategic autonomy in technology for India’s national security and economic growth. How can domestic innovation ecosystems contribute to this goal?
