Context: India is hosting the fourth AI Impact Summit with a renewed focus on “sarvajana hitaya, sarvajana sukhaya”—using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to promote welfare, inclusion, and public well-being. The emphasis is shifting from global debates on AI safety to harnessing AI as a tool for socio-economic transformation.
AI as a Tool for Welfare Transformation
AI-driven innovations are increasingly shaping India’s public service delivery:
- Food Security: Smallholders contribute nearly 70% of global food production, yet face productivity challenges. AI-enabled advisories improve yields and climate resilience. For instance, Kisan e-Mitra answers around 20,000 farmer queries daily in multiple languages.
- Income Enhancement: Precision agriculture tools optimise fertiliser and pesticide use. Telangana’s Saagu Baagu programme has reportedly doubled chilli farmers’ incomes while reducing chemical inputs.
- Healthcare Access: Telemedicine platforms help address doctor shortages. The eSanjeevani digital health service has completed about 389 million consultations by mid-2025.
- Skill Development: Digital learning and skilling initiatives such as DIKSHA have reached over 275 million users, with a large share from rural areas.
Why Welfare-Oriented AI Is Critical for India
- Agricultural Productivity: AI-based advisories can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen climate adaptation for farmers.
- Universal Healthcare: India’s doctor–patient ratio of nearly 1:11,000 makes AI-enabled diagnostics and telemedicine essential.
- Skill Gap: Only about 5% of India’s workforce has formal training; AI-driven platforms enable personalised and scalable skilling.
- Inclusive Growth: With rural internet access around 24% compared to 66% in urban areas, AI-driven welfare can bridge regional and gender disparities.
Key Challenges
- Digital Divide: Limited rural connectivity and digital gender gaps restrict access to AI services.
- Talent Shortage: A shortage of skilled AI professionals slows innovation and adoption.
- Technology Dependence: Over 90% import reliance for semiconductors exposes India’s AI ecosystem to geopolitical risks.
Way Forward
- Outcome-Based AI: Measure success through welfare indicators—higher farm productivity, early disease detection, and learning outcomes.
- Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Integrate AI with platforms like digital health, education, and payments for scale.
- Infrastructure Alignment: Strengthen broadband, energy, and domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
- Regulatory Balance: Promote “good-enough” and accessible AI solutions while ensuring ethical and secure deployment.
By aligning AI with inclusive development, India can create a model where technological innovation directly improves livelihoods, strengthens human capital, and accelerates the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.