In India, artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the government's digital infrastructure, enabling more underserved communities to benefit. Recently, at the NVIDIA Summit held in Mumbai, Deputy Director of the National Informatics Centre, Sharmishtha Dasgupta, shared updates on how AI is enhancing e-governance. She mentioned that AI systems now handle between 500,000 to 700,000 queries per month, operating around the clock to ensure thousands of citizens receive timely assistance.
These queries cover a range of topics including registration, eligibility checks, information updates, and troubleshooting. Dasgupta emphasized that such an efficient and scalable system aligns well with the goals of the "Digital India" initiative, making government services easily accessible to every citizen.
Moreover, AI has eliminated language barriers through bilingual support systems, making interactions with government projects simpler. For instance, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is utilizing a conversational AI chatbot named AskDISHA2.0 to help users book tickets effortlessly through voice, chat, and click operations.
Manohar Paluri, Vice President of AI at Meta, also mentioned at the summit that India has shown immense enthusiasm in the adoption and application of AI technology. He cited the example of the educational non-profit Pratham, illustrating how AI can help children learn in a more economical way. Through such technology, farmers can also receive agricultural and financial support information in their native language, which was previously inaccessible to them.
According to government data, India's expenditure on AI grew by 109.6% in 2018, and is expected to reach approximately $11.7 billion by 2025. Indian-made AI models are also emerging, such as OpenHathi launched by Sarvam AI, which is India's first language model focused on Hindi, demonstrating performance similar to GPT-3.5.
Meanwhile, Tanusree Barma from UIDAI mentioned at the summit that they are also advancing the localization of AI to ensure data security and autonomy. By continuously developing indigenous AI solutions, India is gradually reducing its reliance on foreign technology.
Additionally, India is actively promoting the BharatGPT initiative, aimed at building multi-lingual and multi-modal foundational AI models. This government-supported initiative has attracted participation from various sectors, laying a solid foundation for future digital processes.
Key Points:
🌟 AI systems handle 500,000 to 700,000 queries per month, serving citizens 24/7.
🌍 Bilingual support eliminates language barriers, making government projects more accessible.
📈 India's AI expenditure is growing rapidly, expected to reach $11.7 billion by 2025.
