India’s AI ambitions require public-private partnership model for scalability: AI4India

NEW DELHI: India’s journey toward scaling artificial intelligence is shifting from a question of basic capability to a focus on how these technologies are developed and governed. As the nation eyes leadership in the global AI landscape, a public-private partnership model is emerging as the necessary framework to balance rapid innovation with digital sovereignty, according to the AI4India Weekly substack.

The blueprint for this trajectory resides in India’s previous digital successes, such as the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). As per AI4India, these success stories rarely emerge from pure state control or unrestricted private-sector dominance. Instead, they thrive on a collaborative architecture that allows public infrastructure and private innovation to work together at scale.

AI4India.org, a non-government entity, is working to democratise access to Artificial Intelligence and ensure social and inclusive growth for India.

“Neither the government nor the private sector can achieve this alone. What we need is a true fusion — a strong public-private partnership,” stated Lt. Gen. Rakesh Kapoor AVSM, VSM (Retd.) during a roundtable on “New and Emerging Opportunities in AI” hosted by AI4India and the Centre for Policy Research and Governance (CPRG).

This direction remains visible in the current policy approach. The weekly substack highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocating for a public-private partnership model for pooling critical AI resources like compute power, emphasizing the hybrid nature of the emerging strategy.

The government recognizes that it cannot build a competitive ecosystem at the required speed alone, given the massive investments needed for semiconductors, cloud capacity, and research. “But leaving AI entirely to market forces also carries risks. Fragmented systems, concentration of power, foreign platform dependence and uneven access could undermine both innovation and digital sovereignty,” the organization wrote.

It also noted Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, highlighting how AI can strengthen existing digital systems and improve public service delivery, while institutions like the NPCI begin to integrate AI into payments and grievance redressal.

A meaningful framework for this partnership requires multiple layers of cooperation. The government funds foundational infrastructure, including sovereign compute capacity and Indian-language resources, while creating regulatory guardrails. Public institutions then play a central role in sectors like healthcare and education, where large-scale data systems already exist.

The AI4India Weekly mentioned that the private sector focuses on the application layer, building tools for MSMEs and citizen-facing services. Startups develop specialized solutions for sectoral workflows, while larger firms contribute infrastructure and research. Academic institutions act as the third pillar by supporting foundational research and talent development to strengthen long-term capability.

“If India can replicate the collaborative architecture that powered UPI, it may not only build a competitive AI ecosystem but also define a governance model for how large-scale technologies can be deployed in the digital age,” the weekly substack stated. (ANI)