New Delhi:
India is increasingly using Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for social and economic inclusion, aiming to empower women, upskill youth, and create new opportunities for workers in the informal sector. The country is set to host the India-AI Impact Summit next month, bringing together global AI leaders to focus not just on technology, but on making AI accessible, inclusive, and beneficial for all sections of society.
At the heart of this effort is the India AI Mission, approved by the central government in March 2024. The mission emphasizes that AI should enhance human capabilities rather than replace jobs. Key initiatives include expanding computing infrastructure, setting up AI innovation centers, developing trusted data platforms, supporting AI-based applications, training young talent, and providing financial assistance to startups.
As a result, AI adoption has expanded across sectors, from education and healthcare to agriculture and small businesses. Special attention is being given to India’s linguistic and social diversity, with AI systems designed to work in regional languages and cater to the needs of women, farmers, gig workers, and small entrepreneurs.
Unlike many countries where AI is largely seen as a driver of productivity and competition, India’s approach focuses on employment, safety, skill development, and opportunity creation. In the growing gig economy, AI-enabled platforms are helping women become financially independent as drivers, delivery partners, and online entrepreneurs. Many women-led businesses are scaling up through AI-powered digital marketplaces.
In rural and semi-urban areas, AI-driven digital inclusion is gaining momentum. Voice-based AI assistants in local languages are helping women with limited literacy manage financial transactions and track expenses. Fintech companies are also using AI to extend loans to women entrepreneurs who were previously excluded from formal banking systems.
For young people, AI is emerging as a pathway to future-ready careers. Through government and private-sector collaboration, training programs now range from basic digital literacy to advanced machine learning skills. Initiatives such as “AI for All” aim to introduce foundational AI knowledge to a broad segment of India’s youth.
AI is also playing a role in enhancing safety and agriculture. Startups are deploying AI systems to improve women’s safety in residential and workplace environments, while AI-powered grievance redressal tools are being integrated into emergency services. In farming, AI helps predict pest attacks and weather-related risks, enabling farmers to make better decisions.
According to reports by NITI Aayog, AI has the potential to empower millions of informal workers by improving access to healthcare, education, skill development, and financial services. As AI adoption grows, policymakers stress the importance of ethical, fair, and responsible use.
India’s AI revolution, experts say, will ultimately be judged not by complex algorithms, but by how effectively it creates equal opportunities—for rural women entrepreneurs, youth in remote regions, and emerging startup founders alike.