Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw marked a major milestone in India’s AI journey with the launch of several initiatives under the IndiaAI Mission during a high-level event in New Delhi. The event saw the unveiling of AIKosha, a secured platform that provides a repository of datasets, models and use cases along with AI sandbox capabilities through an integrated development environment. Designed to support AI innovation and research, AIKosha offers content discoverability, readiness scoring, permission-based access and robust security measures. This launch is part of a structured effort to strengthen India’s AI ecosystem with clear objectives and strategic investments.
At the same event, the IndiaAI Compute Portal was launched to provide accessible and affordable AI compute, network, storage, platform and cloud services. Initially offering access to 10,000 GPUs with plans to add an additional 8,693 GPUs, the portal supports startups, researchers, academia and government agencies by offering up to 40% subsidy on services. The initiative follows a demanding selection process that involved 19 bidders and shortlisted 10 providers after technical evaluation. This portal represents nearly 45% of the IndiaAI Mission funding and is expected to drive cost-effective AI development across multiple sectors. It aims to boost nationwide AI progress.
Additional initiatives were also unveiled to expand India’s AI capabilities. The AI Competency Framework was released to upskill public sector officials and align with global best practices for informed AI policy-making. iGOT-AI, an advanced personalized content recommendation system was introduced on the iGOT Karmayogi platform to enhance learning for government officials. Furthermore, the IndiaAI Startups Global Acceleration Program was announced in collaboration with Station F and HEC Paris to offer a four-month immersive experience to selected AI startups. The IndiaAI Innovation Challenge shortlisted 30 solutions from over 900 submissions, targeting critical challenges in various sectors.
The event also marked the launch of the IndiaAI Fellowship for students, part of the IndiaAI FutureSkills pillar. Selected undergraduate and postgraduate students from institutes such as IITs, NITs and IIITs will benefit from AI research opportunities and structured training. In addition, plans to establish IndiaAI Data Labs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities aim to provide foundational courses for roles like Data Annotator and Data Curator. These strategic initiatives backed by India’s Rs. 10,372 crore AI Mission are set to democratize AI access and reinforce the nation’s leadership in ethical, innovation-driven technology.
