On Wednesday, NITI Aayog formally launched a landmark roadmap titled AI for Inclusive Societal Development. This unprecedented national effort aims to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and frontier technologies to transform the lives and livelihoods of India’s 490 million informal workers.
Designed in collaboration with Deloitte, the report shifts the AI discourse — traditionally centred on white-collar jobs and formal sectors — into the informal economy, which contributes nearly half of India’s GDP yet remains largely outside formal protections and productivity systems.
Addressing the gathered dignitaries, Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, said:
“Empowering India’s informal workers is not just an economic priority, it is a moral imperative. By leveraging AI and frontier technologies, this mission will ensure that every worker—whether a farmer, artisan, or healthcare aide—has the skills, tools, and opportunities needed to thrive in the digital economy of tomorrow.”
At the core of the roadmap is the proposed Mission Digital ShramSetu, a national initiative to make AI accessible, affordable, and impactful for informal workers. The mission plans to use AI, blockchain, immersive learning, and other emerging technologies to address structural barriers — including financial insecurity, limited market access, skill gaps, and lack of social protection.
B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, emphasized the urgency of unified action:
“If we are serious about transforming the lives of India’s 490 million informal workers, collaboration is not optional—it is non-negotiable.”
Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog and Chief Architect of the Frontier Tech Hub, highlighted that achieving India’s $30 trillion Viksit Bharat 2047 vision depends critically on uplifting the informal sector. “AI won’t transform their lives on its own. This roadmap puts their voices, challenges, and aspirations at the centre of the AI conversation,” she said.
The study cautions that without prompt and coordinated intervention, informal workers’ average annual incomes may stagnate at USD 6,000 by 2047, far from the USD 14,500 per capita target needed for India to join the ranks of high-income nations.
The report was launched in the presence of senior officials including Jayant Chaudhary, V. K. Paul, B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, S. Krishnan, Debashree Mukherjee, and Debjani Ghosh. Key participating partners include industry and development bodies such as CII, NASSCOM Foundation, World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Sattva Consulting, Haqdarshak, and Piramal Foundation.
The full roadmap is publicly available on NITI Aayog’s website for download and review.
With the unveiling of AI for Inclusive Societal Development, NITI Aayog has elevated India’s AI narrative — making the often-overlooked informal sector a priority in the country’s tech & growth agenda. The bold Digital ShramSetu mission signals that unless frontier technologies are tailored to inclusion, many millions risk being left behind.
The success of this roadmap rests on execution: aligning government, industry, academia, and civil society; investing in scalable tech solutions; ensuring ethical governance; and making lasting impacts on incomes, dignity, and opportunity.
If implemented with deliberation and collaboration, this initiative could reshape not only individual lives but the very structure of India’s economy — pulling millions from precarity toward possibility.