India's AI Vision: Citizen-Led Innovation & Jan Bhagidari for Global Impact

Union Minister Jitin Prasada stated that India's AI strategy is fundamentally rooted in Jan Bhagidari, positioning citizens as active participants in technological transformation. The approach focuses on grounding AI development in real public needs to ensure responsible and inclusive innovation. Through the IndiaAI Mission, the government is building a robust ecosystem, including onboarding over 38,000 GPUs for affordable compute access and supporting thousands of students in AI talent development. India is set to host the global India AI Impact Summit in 2026, bringing together diverse stakeholders to shape the future of AI.

Key Points: India's Citizen-Centric AI Strategy & Jan Bhagidari Vision

  • AI anchored in Jan Bhagidari
  • IndiaAI Mission with ₹10,372 Cr outlay
  • Building indigenous foundational models
  • Democratizing AI access & compute
  • Hosting global AI Impact Summit 2026
3 min read

Jan Bhagidari to guide India's responsible AI push: MoS Jitin Prasada

MoS Jitin Prasada outlines India's AI approach rooted in Jan Bhagidari, trust, and inclusive innovation at the AI Impact Summit 2026.

"Artificial Intelligence will shape the future only when its benefits are understood, trusted, and experienced by citizens themselves. - Jitin Prasada"

New Delhi, February 15

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada said that India's approach to Artificial Intelligence is rooted in citizen empowerment, trust, and inclusive innovation. He also outlined the country's vision at the AI Impact Summit 2026

In a post on the Ministry's X profile, the Minister emphasised that AI will meaningfully shape the future only when its benefits are widely understood, trusted, and directly experienced by citizens.

He underlined that India's AI strategy is anchored in Jan Bhagidari, positioning citizens as active participants in the technological transformation.

"Artificial Intelligence will shape the future only when its benefits are understood, trusted, and experienced by citizens themselves. India's approach to AI is anchored in Jan Bhagidari, positioning citizens as active participants in this transformation. Through the India-AI Impact Summit and the IndiaAI Mission, we are enabling structured engagement across states, communities, startups, academia, and civil society to broaden access to innovation. By grounding AI in real public needs and lived realities, India is demonstrating to the world how citizen engagement can guide responsible, inclusive, and impactful AI development for the world," the X post read.

Through initiatives such as the India AI Impact Summit and the IndiaAI Mission, the government is enabling structured engagement across states, communities, startups, academia and civil society.

Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at MeitY, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, and Director General of NIC, highlighted the breadth and diversity of perspectives shaping India's AI roadmap.

Singh described the Impact Agenda as a compendium reflecting voices from across sectors -- including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, energy, and mobility -- as well as stakeholders ranging from industry leaders and venture capitalists to startups, research institutions, and civil society organisations.

"The Impact Agenda reflects the breadth and diversity of perspectives shaping the global future of Artificial Intelligence," Singh said.

He emphasised that contributions span foundational models and infrastructure to public services, sustainability, and inclusion, with strong representation from diverse leadership.

India's AI strategy is based on the Prime Minister's vision to democratise the use of technology. It aims to address India-centric challenges and create economic and employment opportunities for all Indians.

In March 2024, the Government of India launched the IndiaAI mission with an outlay of Rs 10,372 Cr for the development of the overall AI ecosystem in the country.

In less than 24 months, India AI Mission has set up a foundation for the development of the AI ecosystem in the country. More than 38 thousand GPUs for a common compute facility have been onboarded, which are being provided to Indian start-ups and academia at an affordable rate.

Twelve teams have been shortlisted for the development of indigenous foundational models or Large Language Models.

Thirty applications have been approved for developing India-specific AI applications.

More than 8000 undergraduate students, 5000 postgraduate students, and 500 PhD students are being supported for talent development.27 India Data and AI labs have been established, and 543 more have been identified.

India is now set to host the India AI Impact Summit from February 16-20, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, bringing together governments, industry leaders, researchers, startups, students, and citizens from across the world.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Supporting over 8000 UG students is impressive! Talent development is key. But I hope this "structured engagement" with citizens is genuine and not just a buzzword. We need AI that understands Indian languages, contexts, and doesn't just copy Western models. The focus on India-specific applications is promising.
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Sarah B
As someone working in tech, the scale of this initiative is remarkable. 38,000 GPUs is a massive compute commitment. If executed well, this could make India a serious player in the global AI race. The challenge will be ensuring the benefits trickle down beyond the major metros.
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Rohit P
All this sounds great on paper. My respectful criticism is about implementation. We have a digital divide. How will a farmer in a village with poor internet "participate" in this Jan Bhagidari? The focus must be on ground-level accessibility and literacy first. Otherwise, it remains an elite project.
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Karthik V
Indigenous foundational models are the need of the hour! We can't rely on foreign LLMs that don't understand our culture, history, or legal system. Building our own is a strategic move. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
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Michael C
The emphasis on "trust" is crucial. Globally, there's a lot of fear about AI. If India can build a model that is transparent, ethical, and focused on public good from the start, it could set a global benchmark. The world will be watching the Impact Summit.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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