In a move aimed at accelerating India's prowess in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved an AI programme with a corpus of ₹10,372 crore. The proposed initiative is set to be grounded in a robust public-private partnership model, focusing on the establishment of 10,000 GPU-based servers.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) working group has played a pivotal role in shaping the contours of this ambitious AI programme. One of the key recommendations includes the creation of a cutting-edge AI compute infrastructure at five strategic locations, boasting an impressive capacity of 3,000 AI petaflops.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal said this step is poised to enhance the computer infrastructure capacity in both private and public sectors, laying the foundation for a digitally empowered nation. The infusion of funds into the programme is expected to catalyse innovation, research, and development in the AI domain. The funds will also be used to develop Large Multimodal Models (LLMs).
The India AI Programme aims to establish a sophisticated AI computing ecosystem, developing large multimodal models, promoting AI applications in crucial sectors, and aiding deeptech AI startups. The initiative also includes implementing responsible AI projects, such as creating indigenous tools and frameworks. This comprehensive approach aims to foster AI innovation and deployment across diverse domains, as outlined in a government statement.
Goyal said India will set up two or three AI innovation centres equipped with Secure Distributed Data Grids across the country. These hubs are envisioned to support startups with high-speed connectivity of 200/400 Gbps, fostering an environment conducive to groundbreaking AI advancements.
AI is poised to be the kinetic enabler for India’s #DigitalEconomy.✅ PM @narendramodi ji has consistently emphasized that India is going to fully exploit the power of #AI for the benefit of its citizens and for the expansion of its economy.✅ I am grateful to the Hon’ble PM… pic.twitter.com/jOWgZMyog7
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳(Modiyude Kutumbam) (@Rajeev_GoI) March 7, 2024
The proposed AI programme aligns with the government's vision to position India as a global AI powerhouse, leveraging the synergy between the public and private sectors. The infusion of ₹10,000 crore reflects a commitment to building a sustainable and resilient AI ecosystem that can address the evolving needs of the nation.
Goyal also said the government will soon offer Artificial Intelligence as a service, which he said will bring tools, frameworks and innovation to the common man.
First Published: Mar 7, 2024 5:22 PM IST
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