Union Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said the government is placing a strong emphasis on skilling in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Speaking at the inauguration of the pre-event ceremony of the AI Impact Summit 2026, organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in the national capital, Vaishnaw highlighted the inclusive approach of the government’s AI initiatives.
“We are also focusing on skilling, as you would have noticed today. The AI Data Labs are located in diverse regions—not just in typical hubs like Bengaluru or Mumbai—but spread across various locations. This is by design, reflecting our approach to inclusive growth and democratizing technology,” he said.
Emphasizing the government’s efforts to democratize AI, the minister added that the focus is on human-centric and inclusive growth.
“We are focusing on making technology accessible to all. Our aim is to establish a governance framework acceptable to a significant portion of the world. India has always believed in developing technologies that are globally accessible, such as UPI. Technology must be leveraged to solve population-scale challenges,” he said.
Vaishnaw also highlighted a strategic shift in AI development, with greater emphasis on domain-specific solutions. “Our selection of partners for developing models is guided by the latest thinking in the technical world. Models focused on solving problems in particular sectors are more effective and have higher utility,” he added.
While large-scale AI models will continue to be developed by institutions like IIT Bombay, the mission is promoting smaller, specialized models as well. “We will require 1,000 small models designed to solve specific problems, for example in healthcare and material sciences, supporting India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission,” the minister noted.
-ANI
