On AI Appreciation Day, tech leaders advocate for inclusive, people-first innovation

As India observes AI Appreciation Day, industry leaders from across the technology, startup, and enterprise landscape highlighted the transformative role of artificial intelligence in shaping the country's digital future, adding that AI has become an enabler of growth and innovation.

- TBG NETWORK

From startups to multinationals, the leaders say AI is no longer just a tool; it is a catalyst for inclusive progress, digital equity, and sustainable innovation.

AI Appreciation Day celebrates the country's growing role in the global AI landscape. The AI journey of India commenced in the 1960s with early computer science research. A significant step came in 1986 with the Knowledge-Based Computer Systems project.

In the 1990s, organisations like CDAC advanced supercomputing and early AI work. By the 2000s, IT companies such as TCS, Infosys, and Wipro began investing in AI, while universities built a strong talent pool. The Digital India push in 2015 and NITI Aayog's 2018 AI strategy accelerated growth.

"AI is an enabler of growth and innovation for every corner of India," said Ganesh Gopalan, Co-Founder & CEO of Gnani.ai, emphasizing AI's unique potential in India's multilingual and digitally diverse environment.

"On AI Appreciation Day, we celebrate the incredible strides made in voice AI, small language models, and generative AI that bridge linguistic diversity and democratise digital access," he said.