India’s future as a developed nation will depend on how it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make growth inclusive, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S Krishnan has said.
Krishnan urged that technology must not remain the preserve of a few but serve as a tool to empower citizens across social and economic lines. He described AI as one of the most crucial technologies shaping India’s development journey, adding that equitable access would determine its real value.
“If India is to become a developed nation, we must ride the wave of technology, and AI is perhaps the most crucial technology driving that transformation,” Krishnan said, speaking at a curtain raiser event in Delhi for the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025.
“To achieve this, we need inclusive mechanisms that ensure people can access and benefit from AI in meaningful ways,” Krishnan said.
The MeitY Secretary asserted India’s intent was clear: to view AI as a “force for good” that can bridge divides and enhance governance. According to him, the government’s focus is to promote AI that improves public services, healthcare and education while addressing local challenges.
Krishnan’s views reflect the growing debate on how emerging technologies can support developing countries like India in achieving social goals rather than deepening inequality. India, with its fairly decent digital infrastructure and wide demographic base, is seen as uniquely placed to develop AI solutions tailored to its needs.
MeitY Secretary S Krishnan says India building responsible AI ecosystem
Experts say India’s digital public platforms such as Aadhaar, the biometric identification system and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have laid the foundation for scalable AI applications. These systems, already used for financial inclusion and public delivery, could now support new AI-driven innovations.
At the same time, technology leaders both from government and enterprise have been warning that AI’s growth must be guided by principles of fairness and transparency. To focus on this, MeitY said the government’s AI for All vision seeks to balance innovation with social responsibility, ensuring that benefits reach marginalised groups.
Dr Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Chair Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay, who also participated in the programme, said India’s diversity and robust digital networks give it a “unique advantage” in developing context-aware, multilingual AI tools.
Dr Ramakrishnan cited projects like Bhashini, a language translation platform, and BharatGen, an initiative for an indigenous AI ecosystem, as steps in that direction.
AI entrepreneurs in the country have also often urged the need for collaboration between government, academia and industry to make these technologies more accessible and relevant to everyday challenges.
Globally, countries are grappling with similar concerns over AI governance, particularly around data privacy, job disruption and ethical use. India’s approach, policy observers note, has emphasised responsible adoption over rapid automation.
In recent years, initiatives such as the National Programme on Artificial Intelligence and the IndiaAI Mission have aimed to build research capacity and promote start-ups in the field. However, experts say the next phase must focus on last-mile delivery and social applications.
