Building an inclusive and intelligent India by 2030

Hindustan Times

15 hours ago

As India steps into the second half of the 2020s, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it is an active force transforming the nation's industries, governance, and daily life. By 2030, AI is expected to evolve from a technological add-on into a foundational infrastructure—akin to roads, electricity, or Aadhaar—that enables inclusion, innovation, and intelligent growth. AI (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Far from being confined to the realm of coders and tech giants, AI in India is rapidly becoming a platform for national transformation. It is being designed not just to automate but to empower; not merely to replace jobs but to create livelihoods; not to replicate Silicon Valley, but to respond to India's own socio-economic realities.
A defining feature of India's AI journey by 2030 will be its treatment of AI as a public good. Moving beyond the private sector, AI will become embedded in governance, education, healthcare, agriculture, and public services. It will underpin everything from rural banking systems to disease surveillance, school curriculums to municipal operations.
Crucially, AI in India is being tailored to work under constraints—low data bandwidth, limited digital literacy, and linguistic diversity. In contrast to many Western economies, where AI often serves as a tool for efficiency and profit maximisation, in India it serves necessity. Whether it is making rural education accessible or ensuring public distribution systems reach the last mile, the use cases are urgent, human-centric, and deeply local.
India's demographic structure offers it an unparalleled advantage. With a median age under 30, the country has the largest youth population capable of adapting to, and shaping, the AI revolution. By 2030, AI fluency will become as commonplace as knowledge of Microsoft Office—expected across roles and sectors, not just among programmers.
This evolution in skillsets will be supported by the integration of AI literacy into school and university curriculums. Modular, localised learning kits and state-level upskilling programmes are already being developed, particularly targeting rural and underserved communities. The aim is to ensure that every student in India graduates AI-aware—capable not only of using AI tools but of thinking critically about them.
One of the most persistent myths surrounding AI is that it will lead to mass unemployment. However, projections for India challenge this narrative robustly. Rather than erasing jobs, AI is expected to catalyse the creation of 7 to 10 million new roles by 2030, many of which will be in sectors not traditionally associated with technology—media, agriculture, education, logistics, and public administration.
For every job that is automated, estimates suggest 2 to 3 new human-machine collaboration roles will emerge. These include positions like AI-assisted journalists, agri-tech advisors, AI social workers, and prompt designers. Notably, many of these roles are expected to take root in non-urban India, thereby decentralising the benefits of the AI economy.
By eliminating repetition, reducing inefficiency, and enhancing decision-making, AI allows human workers to focus on creativity, empathy, and leadership—qualities that remain uniquely human.
India's vast and varied population generates an unparalleled volume of real-world data—linguistic, visual, behavioural, and situational. This data richness positions India to build AI that is more robust, generalisable, and adaptable than many western models.
From non-English voice processing to energy-efficient AI models that run on low-end devices, innovations in India are deeply contextual. These developments are not about technological prestige, but about relevance and reach—bringing AI to the remote village, the overburdened classroom, and the underfunded clinic.
By 2030, AI is expected to be integral not just to policy formulation but also to policy execution. Its role will extend to predicting disease outbreaks, optimising food and medicine distribution systems, streamlining public grievance redressal mechanisms, and improving disaster response strategies.
The future of AI in India will be treated the way we treat roads, electricity, and Aadhaar as public infrastructure for inclusion and empowerment. And VolkAI is already building for that future.
From deploying low-data AI models that work in remote villages, to enabling non-English voice processing for rural India — VolkAI is not chasing Silicon Valley. It is decoding India.
In essence, AI will become a silent but powerful partner in India's effort to build a more responsive, efficient, and transparent state. The potential for decentralised, real-time governance powered by ethical AI systems is immense, particularly in regions where traditional infrastructure and manpower are stretched thin.
India is also poised to become a global exporter of ethical, inclusive, and energy-efficient AI systems. As conversations around algorithmic bias, surveillance, and inequality dominate global AI discourse, India's model—centred on fairness, accessibility, and multilingual capabilities—will offer a compelling alternative.
There is growing recognition that the global South requires AI solutions that are not only technologically sound but also socially rooted. By addressing the needs of developing nations, India can position itself as a responsible AI innovator—balancing innovation with equity.
By the end of this decade, the most significant AI breakthroughs may not come from Silicon Valley but from unexpected corners of India—a classroom in Bihar, a municipal centre in Bhopal, a startup in Guwahati, or a sugarcane farm in Maharashtra.
India's approach to AI is not about racing to the top of global leaderboards. It is about defining the future of AI in a way that aligns with democratic values, pluralism, and developmental goals. It is about creating a version of AI that serves people—not just profits.
As the nation looks toward 2030, one thing is clear: India will not merely adapt to the age of artificial intelligence. It will help define what that age should look like—ethical, inclusive, locally relevant, and globally impactful.
This article is authored by Santosh Kushwaha, CEO, VolkAI.