Lok Sabha Question No. 5339 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Establishment  of AI University
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Adhikari Soumendu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5339 ANSWERED ON 25/03/2026

## ESTABLISHMENT OF AI UNIVERSITY

## 5339.  SHRI ADHIKARI SOUMENDU:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  made  key  focus  with  this  year Budget for development of Science and Technology to boost privatesector "Al and Deep-tech";
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  Budget  allocation  and  sanctioned  since Financial  Year  2024  and  this  year  allocation  for  the  roadmap  or strategy proposed to achieve this target;
- (c) whether the Government has any plan to establish Al University in the country including in the State of West Bengal therefor; and
- (d) if  not,  whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  consider  such proposal in the near future therein?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) to (b): The Government has accorded high priority in the current Budget  to  strengthen  Science  &  Technology  and  promote  private sector  participation  in  Artificial  Intelligence  (AI)  and  deep-tech sectors.

In  this  direction,  the  Government  has  launched  the  Research, Development and Innovation  (RDI)  Scheme  on  03  November  2025, with a total outlay of ₹1 lakh crore over a period of six years. The Scheme aims to incentivise private sector investment in R&D across strategic and sunrise sectors, including deep technologies such as quantum computing, robotics and space; AI and its applications in agriculture, healthcare and education; energy transition and climate action; biotechnology, biomanufacturing, pharmaceuticals and medical devices; and the digital economy, including digital agriculture.

The Scheme is being operationalised through a Special Purpose Fund (SPF) established within the Anusandhan National Research Foundation  (ANRF),  with  a  two-tier  funding  structure.  Under  this mechanism, the SPF custodises the corpus and channels funds to Second-Level Fund Managers (SLFMs). The Technology Development Board  (TDB)  and  the  Biotechnology  Industry  Research  Assistance Council  (BIRAC)  have  been  designated  as  SLFMs  and  have  issued calls  for  proposals  in  February  2026.  Further,  applications  for additional SLFMs, including Fund of Funds, have been invited and are under evaluation. The Scheme supports technology development at Technology  Readiness  Level  (TRL)  4  and  above  by  start-ups, companies and industry-led R&D entities.

Further, the Department of Science & Technology (DST) is implementing the National Mission on Interdisciplinary CyberPhysical Systems (NM-ICPS), under which 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) have been established in areas such as AI, robotics, IoT, cybersecurity  and  quantum  technologies.  Under  this  Mission,  the Bharat-Gen  initiative  is  being  implemented  to  develop  multimodal, multilingual generative AI models tailored for India.

In addition, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), under  its  Mission  for  Advancement  in  High-Impact  Areas  (MAHA), supports Artificial Intelligence for Science & Engineering, promoting industry-academia collaboration and accelerating the development and commercialisation of AI-driven solutions.

Moreover, the Union Cabinet approved the IndiaAI Mission in March 2024, with a total outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore over a period of five years, to build a robust and inclusive AI ecosystem in the country. The Mission is being implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information  Technology  and  focuses  on  strengthening  innovation, supporting  research  and  start-ups,  enhancing  data  access,  and ensuring responsible AI deployment. The IndiaAI Mission comprises seven  key  pillars,  including  compute  capacity,  foundation  models, startup datasets platform, application development, skilling, financing, and safe & trusted AI.

Under this Mission, initiatives such as BharatGen, India's indigenous multilingual multimodal large language model supporting 22 Indian languages, have been launched. Further, approval has been accorded

for  development of a sovereign LLM ecosystem to enhance public service delivery and digital trust.

The detailed allocation under the NM-ICPS, RDI, and IndiaAI Mission (for 5 years) is as follows:

| S. No.   | Financial Year   | Budget Allocation (in crore)   |
|----------|------------------|--------------------------------|
|          | NM-ICPS          | NM-ICPS                        |
| 1        | 2024-25          | 815                            |
| 2        | 2025-26          | 750.6                          |
|          | RDI Scheme       | RDI Scheme                     |
| 3        | 2025-26          | 20,000                         |

| Components Total Expenditure (₹            | Cr)       |
|--------------------------------------------|-----------|
| IndiaAI Compute Capacity                   | 4563.36   |
| IndiaAI Foundation Models                  | 1971.37   |
| IndiaAI Datasets Platform                  | 199.55    |
| IndiaAI Application Development Initiative | 689.05    |
| IndiaAI FutureSkills                       | 882.94    |
| IndiaAI Startup Financing                  | 1942.5    |
| Safe & Trusted AI                          | 20.46     |
| IndiaAI Overheads and Contingency @1%      | 102.69    |
| Total                                      | 10,371.92 |

(c) to (d): The Government is undertaking multiple initiatives to strengthen the Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem in the country through  the  establishment  of  Centres  of  Excellence  (CoEs)  and related institutional mechanisms.

In this regard, three Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence have been approved in key sectors namely healthcare, agriculture, and sustainable cities at reputed academic institutions, including the Indian Institutes  of  Technology (IITs). These CoEs aim to promote

research-driven innovation, develop scalable AI-based solutions, and foster collaboration among academia, industry, and government.

Further, under the IndiaAI Mission, efforts are being made to enable access to high-end computing infrastructure, support research and innovation, and promote the development of AI applications for public good.

The Government is also strengthening the AI ecosystem in education and skilling through initiatives including establishment of Centres of Excellence  and  integration  of  AI  in  learning  frameworks,  to  equip youth with industry-relevant skills and build a future-ready workforce. The  Ministry  of  Education  is  supporting  such  initiatives,  including Centres of Excellence and skilling programmes in emerging technologies, benefiting all States and Union Territories

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