India’s 2023 Budget Outlines Plan for Tech-Driven Economy with Focus on AI, Open Source, and 5G”. The 2023 budget in India aims to transform the economy into a technology-driven and knowledge-based system with a strong financial foundation. Artificial Intelligence (AI), open source software, and the potential of 5G internet are among the key focus areas. The government plans to implement digital solutions in seven priority areas, including agriculture, financial sector, and health.
To achieve this, three AI centers of excellence will be established in top educational institutions and 100 labs will be set up in engineering institutions to develop applications for the high-speed 5G internet. The budget has also proposed the National Data Governance Framework (NDGF) Policy to open up anonymous and non-personal data sets for innovation and research by Indian start-ups and academia.
The budget has allocated Rs 16,549.04 crore for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and its agencies, while the Aadhaar and DigiLocker platforms will be used to develop a “one-stop solution” for reconciling and updating individuals’ identities and addresses. Additionally, the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 skill-development initiative has been extended to include courses in AI, robotics, and other Industry 4.0 skills.