NITI Aayog Unveils AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap and Frontier Tech Repository

In a major push to harness frontier technologies for national development, NITI Aayog today launched two transformative initiatives—AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap: Opportunity for Accelerated Economic Growth and the NITI Frontier Tech Repository—under its Frontier Tech Hub. The launch event was attended by top leaders including Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Suman Bery, Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog, Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog, and Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & IT.

AI as a Catalyst for Viksit Bharat

Speaking at the launch, Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman called for AI-assisted technologies to be deployed across every district in India to accelerate grassroots development. She emphasized the importance of collaborative ecosystems that bring together government, industry, and innovators, describing NITI’s Frontier Tech Hub as a “honeycomb” that converts ideas into impact. “India cannot afford to be behind in frontier technologies; we must aim for leadership,” she declared.

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw echoed these sentiments, stating that AI is set to fundamentally change how India works and lives. He noted that today’s robust and inclusive growth is driven by technology and confidence among India’s youth, underlining that the dream of Viksit Bharat is becoming increasingly achievable.

The Roadmap: Practical Action for AI Adoption

The AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap provides a sector-specific action plan to harness AI for economic growth. It focuses on two key levers:

1. Accelerating AI adoption across industries to enhance productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness.

2. Transforming R&D with generative AI, enabling India to leapfrog into innovation-led opportunities and create global impact.

The roadmap is publicly available on the NITI Aayog website for stakeholders to study and adopt in their respective sectors.

Frontier Tech Repository: Showcasing Impact Stories

Complementing the roadmap, NITI launched the Frontier Tech Repository, which documents 200+ impact stories from across India in four key sectors—Agriculture, Healthcare, Education, and National Security. These stories highlight how states, districts, and startups are deploying technology with purpose to transform livelihoods and governance. The repository is accessible at frontiertech.niti.gov.in and is designed as a living platform to inspire replication and scaling of frontier tech solutions.

CEO’s Perspective and New Initiatives

Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, underlined that India’s ambition of sustaining 8% growth demands a seismic shift in productivity and innovation. “AI is the key to unlocking this potential,” he said, noting that the roadmap provides a clear pathway while the repository serves as a practical toolkit for states and districts.

He also announced two new initiatives to scale grassroots adoption of frontier technologies:

• Frontier 50 Initiative – NITI Aayog will support 50 Aspirational Districts/Blocks to pick solutions from the repository and deploy frontier technologies to achieve saturation of services under ADP/ABP themes.

• NITI Frontier Tech Impact Awards for States – to recognize three states excelling in tech-driven governance, healthcare, education, and livelihoods, and provide them support to scale measurable outcomes.

Preparing India for Future Tech Shifts

Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog and Chief Architect of the Frontier Tech Hub, warned that the next wave of tech shifts will be even more disruptive than AI. She stressed the need for India to anticipate trends early, strengthen supply chains, define global standards, and build international alliances to secure leadership in frontier technologies.

Participation of Innovators and Administrators

The launch event saw wide participation from start-up founders, District Magistrates, and industry leaders, many of whom joined virtually from across India. District functionaries shared their experiences of deploying frontier technologies at the grassroots level, demonstrating how innovation can bring tangible improvements in public service delivery.

The launch of the AI for Viksit Bharat Roadmap and Frontier Tech Repository marks a decisive step in India’s journey towards technology-driven, inclusive, and sustainable growth. By focusing on both policy-level planning and grassroots adoption, NITI Aayog aims to empower states, districts, and startups to harness AI and frontier technologies for Viksit Bharat 2047.