What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence by machines, enabling them to perform tasks such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding. AI encompasses sub-fields including Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Computer Vision. In India, AI has been identified as a strategic technology for economic growth and governance transformation.

India's national AI strategy was first articulated by NITI Aayog in 2018 through the paper "National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence #AIForAll", identifying five priority sectors: healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities, and smart mobility. The government launched the IndiaAI Mission in March 2024 with an allocation of over Rs 10,371 crore to build AI compute infrastructure, datasets, and a startup ecosystem.

The India AI Policy 2025, jointly announced by MeitY and NITI Aayog, rests on seven pillars: Research, Skills, Infrastructure, Ethics, Sectoral Growth, Global Ties, and Federal Coordination. India's approach prioritises responsible and inclusive AI rather than heavy-handed regulation.

Types of AI

AI can be classified by capability: Narrow AI (ANI) — designed for specific tasks (e.g., image recognition, language translation); General AI (AGI) — hypothetical systems with human-level reasoning across all domains; and Super AI (ASI) — theoretical systems surpassing human intelligence. Most current applications are Narrow AI.

By learning approach: Supervised Learning (labelled training data), Unsupervised Learning (pattern discovery in unlabelled data), Reinforcement Learning (learning through reward and penalty), and Generative AI (creating new content — text, images, code — using large language models like GPT and BharatGen).

India's AI applications span AgriBot (crop advisory via satellite data), AI-based diagnostics in public health (TB screening, diabetic retinopathy detection), e-Courts AI for case management, and AI-driven traffic management in smart cities.

Key Features

# Feature Details
1 Nodal Body MeitY (Ministry of Electronics & IT) with NITI Aayog advisory role
2 IndiaAI Mission Rs 10,371 crore; compute, datasets, startups, skilling
3 BharatGen AI India's first government-funded multilingual LLM supporting 22 languages (launched June 2025)
4 AI Centres of Excellence Five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling (Budget 2025-26)
5 Job Creation Potential Up to 4 million new AI-enabled jobs by 2030 (NITI Aayog-NASSCOM-BCG roadmap)
6 Regulatory Approach Principles-based, no dedicated AI legislation yet; DPDPA 2023 governs data
7 Key Applications Agriculture (crop advisory), health (diagnostics), governance (e-courts, chatbots)

Current Status / Latest Data

  • BharatGen AI launched on 2 June 2025 at the BharatGen Summit — first homegrown multimodal LLM integrating text, speech, and image across 22 Indian languages.
  • NITI Aayog Frontier Tech Hub released the "Roadmap for Job Creation in the AI Economy" targeting 4 million jobs by 2030.
  • Phase 2 (2026-27) of the India AI Policy focuses on cross-sectoral governance structures and legal-regulatory infrastructure.
  • India ranks among the top 5 countries globally in AI talent and research publications.
  • AI in governance: DigiLocker, UMANG, e-Courts, and CoWIN leveraged AI/ML for citizen service delivery.
  • Ethical framework: India opposes over-regulation but supports the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), which India chaired in 2024.

UPSC Exam Corner

Prelims: Key Facts

  • NITI Aayog AI strategy paper: 2018 — titled "National Strategy for AI #AIForAll"
  • Five priority sectors: Healthcare, Agriculture, Education, Smart Cities, Smart Mobility
  • IndiaAI Mission: launched March 2024, Rs 10,371 crore
  • BharatGen AI: June 2025, supports 22 scheduled languages
  • India chaired GPAI (Global Partnership on AI) in 2024
  • No standalone AI regulation; governed under IT Act 2000, DPDPA 2023
  • AI types: Narrow AI (task-specific), General AI (human-level), Super AI (beyond human)
  • Learning types: Supervised, Unsupervised, Reinforcement, Generative AI
  • AI applications in India: crop advisory, TB screening, e-Courts, traffic management
  • India ranks in top 5 globally for AI talent and research publications

Mains: Probable Themes

  1. "Examine India's national AI strategy and its potential to transform governance and public service delivery."
  2. "AI and ethics — discuss the challenges of algorithmic bias, surveillance, and privacy in the Indian context."
  3. "How can AI bridge the development gap in healthcare and agriculture? Illustrate with Indian examples."
  4. "Compare India's principles-based AI governance approach with the EU AI Act's risk-based framework."
  5. "Discuss the employment implications of AI — threat or opportunity for India's demographic dividend?"
  6. "Evaluate BharatGen AI as a model for sovereign multilingual AI development." — Data sovereignty, linguistic diversity, digital inclusion

Sources: NITI Aayog — AI Strategy | PIB — Transforming India with AI | DD News — NITI Aayog AI Jobs Roadmap | NeGD — AI for All