India Celebrates One Year of the IndiaAI Mission
IndiaAI Mission Marks One Year: Compute Portal and AIKosha Take Centre Stage: The IndiaAI Mission, launched in March 2024, has completed its first year with remarkable momentum. To mark this milestone, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced two major digital platforms—IndiaAI Compute Portal and AIKosha—that promise to change the way artificial intelligence is developed and used in the country. These tools are part of India’s larger vision to democratise AI access and make it affordable for everyone—from students to startups.
Compute Portal Opens Access to GPU Power
One of the most impactful announcements is the IndiaAI Compute Portal, a gateway to over 18,000 GPUs made available for AI development. What makes this portal revolutionary is not just the scale, but the cost efficiency—users can access it at just ₹67 per GPU hour. This opens the door for small innovators and academic researchers who previously couldn’t afford high-end computational resources. Government departments will also benefit, as this infrastructure will accelerate AI-driven governance solutions in areas like transport, health, and education.
AIKosha: A Unified Platform for Datasets and Mentorship
The AIKosha Dataset Platform is another key milestone. It isn’t just a data repository—it’s a full-service AI resource hub. By pooling non-personal datasets from various ministries like agriculture and logistics, AIKosha helps in developing and training machine learning models that are tailored to Indian needs. The platform also plans to onboard private sector data partners, which could massively scale the diversity and utility of the data available. Importantly, the platform offers expert mentorship, helping innovators turn their ideas into market-ready solutions.
Building AI Talent Across the Country
To make AI more inclusive, the mission is not just about platforms and hardware—it’s also about people. AI labs are being set up in tier-II and tier-III cities, ensuring that smaller towns aren’t left behind in this digital transformation. The government also introduced an AI Competency Framework to help civil servants upgrade their skills. Through the iGOT AI programme, they’ll receive customised training aligned with their job roles, making governance smarter and more responsive.
A ₹10,371 Crore Mission for the Future
The IndiaAI Mission is backed by a strong budget of ₹10,371.92 crore, nearly 45% of which is dedicated to the compute infrastructure. This large-scale investment reflects India’s commitment to becoming a global AI powerhouse. Managed by the IndiaAI Independent Business Division under the Digital India Corporation, the mission is based on public-private partnerships, ensuring that the benefits of AI innovation are shared widely and not limited to big tech firms.
STATIC GK SNAPSHOT
IndiaAI Mission Marks One Year: Compute Portal and AIKosha Take Centre Stage:
| Initiative | IndiaAI Mission |
| Launch Year | March 2024 |
| Budget | ₹10,371.92 crore |
| Major Platforms Launched | IndiaAI Compute Portal, AIKosha Dataset |
| GPU Cost (per hour) | ₹67 |
| Total GPUs Offered | Over 18,000 |
| Skill Development Tools | iGOT AI, AI Competency Framework |
| Targeted Regions | Tier-II & Tier-III Cities |
| Implementing Body | IndiaAI Independent Business Division under Digital India Corporation |
