NEW DELHI: In a major step towards harnessing technology for India’s future, NITI Aayog today launched two transformative initiatives under its Frontier Tech Hub—the ‘AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap: Opportunity for Accelerated Economic Growth’ and the ‘NITI Frontier Tech Repository.’
The launch event was attended by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson Suman Bery, CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, and MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman underlined the urgency of adopting AI-assisted technologies across all districts of India to drive inclusive development. She likened the Frontier Tech Hub to a honeycomb, uniting government, industry, and innovators to transform ideas into real impact. “India cannot afford to lag in frontier technologies; we must aim for global leadership,” she stressed.
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that AI will fundamentally change how people live and work, adding that today’s growth in India is “robust, inclusive, and driven by technology.” He said the roadmap captures the confidence of India’s youth to dream and build a Viksit Bharat (Developed India).
The AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap lays out a clear action plan with two major levers:
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Accelerating AI adoption across industries to improve productivity and efficiency.
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Transforming R&D with generative AI, enabling India to leapfrog into innovation-led growth.
Complementing this, the Frontier Tech Repository showcases 200+ impact stories from across India in agriculture, healthcare, education, and national security, highlighting how states and startups are deploying technology to transform livelihoods.
NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said India’s 8% growth ambition requires a “seismic shift in productivity and innovation,” with AI as the key enabler. He announced two new initiatives to expand grassroots adoption of frontier technologies:
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Frontier 50 Initiative: NITI Aayog will support 50 Aspirational Districts/Blocks to deploy use cases from the Repository to accelerate service saturation.
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NITI Frontier Tech Impact Awards: To recognize and support three states excelling in tech-driven governance, healthcare, education, and livelihoods.
Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog and Chief Architect of the Frontier Tech Hub, emphasized anticipating the next wave of disruptive technologies beyond AI. “India must prepare early by strengthening supply chains, defining global standards, and forging strong alliances,” she said.
The event brought together policymakers, startup founders, district magistrates, industry leaders, and government officials from across India, showcasing how frontier technologies are shaping India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.
