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Investment opportunities in AI and blockchain in India are rapidly expanding, driven by supportive government policies and thriving startup ecosystems.

Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain are on the edge of uncovering a golden mine of investment opportunities. The soft policies implemented by the government and an exceptionally vibrant startup ecosystem have made the business world jump at these technologies as a means to drive efficiency, improve security, and generate new revenues.

Here, one finds a blossoming landscape of transformational solutions across finance, healthcare, supply chain, and governance. Exploring the best AI and blockchain investment opportunities in India has turned out to be a promising frontier for growth and innovation.

On May 22, 2024, the Union government plans to create a foundational artificial intelligence (AI) model tailored for Indian businesses, academics, and researchers, with an initial investment of Rs 2,000 crore. This initiative aims to position India alongside global leaders like China and the US in developing foundational AI models for various sectors.

Led by the IndiaAI Innovation Centre, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the project will focus on applications that cater to India’s unique requirements, including outputs in multiple native languages. Building on initiatives like Bhashini, the government emphasises inclusivity and diversity in AI development, ensuring broader accessibility and engagement.

In March 2024, the Indian government made a significant stride in the field of artificial intelligence by approving an investment of 103 billion rupees (approximately $1.25 billion). This substantial funding aims to bolster the nation’s computing infrastructure and advance the development of large language models. Furthermore, the initiative is set to support AI startups, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the sector. Government officials highlighted that this funding will also focus on creating AI applications tailored for the public sector, ultimately enhancing efficiency and service delivery. This move positions India as a key player in the global AI landscape, driving technological progress.

The Indian industry is gradually strengthening its digital competencies by adopting deep tech solutions and focusing on development areas like AI, cybersecurity, and IoT. IT and BPO industries are expected to give employment to 5.4 million persons, including 53% of Indian service exports in FY 2023. Hence in 2022, 23 unicorn startups joined the Indian market, making it the second-highest country for unicorns in the same year alongside the creation of over 1300 new technology-based startups. Also, 280000 + employees participated in the reskilling process in an attempt to introduce new digital competencies in the course of FY 2022.

The Government of India has come up with considerable measures for the IT/ITeS industry sector. The union as well as the individual state governments are in the process of building solutions that will seek to enhance citizen’s transactions through technology. Given, the concentration will be targeting domains like cyber security, hyper-scale computing, artificial intelligence, and distributed database technology popularly known as blockchain. India offers some of the cheapest data rates in the world; in some cases, as low as INR 10 (12 USD cents) per GB. This cheap digital platform enables more convenient access to fundamental services like; financial and political.

Thus, it is possible to conclude that India is in the leadership position in a technological revolution that is based on new investments in developing artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies that will foster new opportunities for sustainable growth and development. Together with foundation AI models the government provides significant funds for innovations, and demonstrating enhanced digital skills across sectors. In this way, the ecosystem is being created and the further development of new technologies – not only improves efficiency and security but also becomes an introduction to the leadership of India in the field of AI. Therefore, as the country invests in the right technologies and attracts talent for its human resource capital it sets a pace for a more ICT-enabled and therefore a more prosperous future.