{Union Budget 2023: Tech} Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence

The Tech Panda gathered the Indian tech sector’s views on the Union Budget 2023.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget 2023 is poised to boost the already shining IT sector of India, and the champion is Artificial Intelligence (AI). The promise to establish three (CoE) Centers of Excellence for AI in prestigious educational institutions to make AI Work for India will encourage entrepreneurs already in the field, while bettering existing sectors and services.

Read more: Union Budget 2023 wish list: Technology sector

These CoEs will bridge the gap between educational institutions and industries, while developing R&D for practical AI application. His will also be a source for new AI talent for new businesses. 5G development too will aid the telecom industry.

The data governance policy will give access to anonymised data helping AI/ML research, while framing the parameters of data consumption.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Digi Locker to be set up for use by businesses
• 100 labs for 5G services based application development
• Make AI in India: Three specialized AI centres to be set up in educational institutes
• Data governance policy

AI

Sarvagya Mishra, Co-founder & Director, SuperBot (PinnacleWorks)

“This Budget is notable for its renewed emphasis on the development of digital infrastructure. The Indian government’s intention to establish three “Centers of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence” in prestigious educational institutions to make “AI Work for India” is a dose of encouragement for entrepreneurs who have been working in the field, hoping to give a new face to sectors and services.

The focus on building a strong AI ecosystem in India and training skilled AI professionals will assist new businesses in acquiring the right talent

“These centers will undoubtedly serve as a bridge between educational institutions and leading industries, with the goal of researching and developing practical AI applications across different verticals including agriculture, health, and sustainable cities. Furthermore, the focus on building a strong AI ecosystem in India and training skilled AI professionals will assist new businesses in acquiring the right talent. This also puts a lot of responsibility on education institutes to strengthen the curriculum in the field.”

Anil Joshi, Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures

“Special initiative in setting up 3 centres for AI, will help building better startups in AI space and it will help in building resources and testing of innovation.

Special initiative in setting up 3 centres for AI, will help building better startups in AI space

“FM laid special mention on converting Manhole to Machine-hole. This will certainly help companies like Genrobotic which has built a robotic product to eliminate manual scavenging and help in rehabilitation of people involved in cleaning manual holes. This kind of direct involvement also encourages investors to support startups in the space. Unicorn took the early bet and is glad to have faith in new innovative products in this space. We expect many more development in this space.”

Pankit Desai, CEO & Co-founder, Sequretek

“AI Machine Learning (AI ML) is a big area and future of every single industry. The big challenge with AIML however is access to data, for you to be able to run algorithms and validate the outcomes, you need humongous amounts of data, be it in the medical field, cybersecurity, or banking.

“For startups in this space you do not have wherewithal to get access to data. Ability to have access to anonymised data will be a phenomenal capability that really should help overall AIML research, outcomes, solutions, companies, everything becomes significantly better. This is how some of our neighbouring and developed economies have been able to do and having a formal policy in place now will ensure that you are not running afoul of data privacy norms.

Ability to have access to anonymised data will be a phenomenal capability  that really should help overall AIML research, outcomes, solutions, companies, everything becomes significantly better

“We have a problem of talent. ML & data science is what you need even to understand AI and the traditional courses do not do justice to the requirements of the industry. We really hope that you with these institutions as incubators will not only give access to the right pool of talent but all have carried out research as part of the curriculum so that we get industry ready talent.

“Data governance policy – it is high time that we had it while the data privacy act is waiting for the parliamentary approval, there is a need to have an overall data governance policy framework defining the do’s and don’ts of data consumption for research, education and commercial needs. Again in the context what is needed in the ML without a proper data governance policy it will be very difficult to create a viable business proposition. Just like we liberalised services export regime by SEZs and the telecom policy for communication, we see a proper data governance plot to be an enabler to mass utilization and consumption if AI in various fields.”

DRONES

Kishan Tiwari, Co-Founder & CEO, TSAW Drones

“The Hon’ble Finance Minister’s announcement in the Union Budget 23-24 to revitalize 50 additional airports, heliports, water aerodromes, and advanced landing zones is a landmark decision. This will jumpstart the fourth industrialization by effectively utilizing drone technology for automation in logistics, transportation, infrastructure, and rural development, as well as create new-age jobs for the nation’s youngsters.

This will jumpstart the fourth industrialization by effectively utilizing drone technology for automation in logistics, transportation, infrastructure, and rural development, as well as create new-age jobs for the nation’s youngsters

“TSAW is committed to supporting the government’s mission by assembling state-of-the-art ‘Made in India’ drones and DRONECO is committed to providing end-to-end drone services for internal sovereignty, last-mile connectivity, agriculture, healthcare and others. The announcement of the Agri Accelerator Fund by the government will encourage more entrepreneurs to serve Indian rich and heritage agriculture Industry. Being a Drone manufacturer, TSAW sees a big opportunity of collaborating with Agri start-ups to serve and show a real case of Drones in the Agriculture industry.”

IT & TELECOM

Gaurav Gandhi, Founder & CEO, Echelon Edge Pvt Ltd

“The 5G ecosystem in India will get further stimulus from this budget. 100 labs for developing applications using 5G services are to be set up in engineering institutions. These labs will effectively develop 5G services to be implemented in a variety of fields. This holds some potential for private 5G deployment in these institutions and further growth of private networks for research purposes.

100 labs for developing applications using 5G services are to be set up in engineering institutions… This holds some potential for private 5G deployment in these institutions and further growth of private networks for research purposes

“The setting up of these labs will also help the telecom sector which has been at the center of mobile telephony distribution in India. More than 50 cities in the country have access to 5G services, so these labs will help them cover applications such as smart classrooms, precision farming, intelligent transport systems and healthcare.”

Pramod Gummaraj, CEO, Aprecomm

“This budget’s focus on boosting use of artificial intelligence through centers of excellence and the initiative towards setting up 100 labs for app development using 5g services are indeed a great move and a great boost to the respective sectors. In fact, ‘Make AI for India’ and ‘Make AI work for India’ are much needed initiatives in present times when artificial intelligence is spreading its arms wide across all the sectors. Had its scope been extended to the telecom sector along with the other three sectors the initiative would have been more fruitful.

With telecom players in India and abroad increasingly preferring to integrate various new age technologies developed by Indian players to ease their business in the current market scenario, the current budget could have given the much expected budgetary allocation to boost telecom tech players in the country

“While there are initiatives towards promoting Artificial Intelligence and 5G through dedicated budgetary allocations, the current budget has not taken into account the necessity of supporting telecom tech. With telecom players in India and abroad increasingly preferring to integrate various new age technologies developed by Indian players to ease their business in the current market scenario, the current budget could have given the much expected budgetary allocation to boost telecom tech players in the country. Budgetary allocations and policy support would have enabled India to stand atop of the world with Indian telecom tech players leading global markets.”

Rajat Jain, Co-founder, Pataa Navigation

“We welcome the Union Budget 2023 by the Indian Government which is positively focused on a tech-driven economy. To begin, setting up 100 labs for effectively developing 5G services will enhance the overall UX of the mobile applications. Also, the initiative of setting up Centers of Excellence for artificial intelligence in top educational institutions will help in conducting interdisciplinary research and creating applications.

Setting up 100 labs for effectively developing 5G services will enhance the overall UX of the mobile applications

“Additionally, the National Data Governance Policy unleashes innovation and research by startups and academia to access anonymized data from both government and private entities for research and innovation in order to boost development in the country. Here at Pataa, we are excited about these developments as with these policies, we can also become an aid for the quest of a Digital India. Our advanced addressing system can complement a few of the services proposed, such as in the 5G sector, intelligent transportation systems can be integrated with our smart addressing system to make it even more efficient and effective. In terms of artificial intelligence, Pataa’s location based predictive proximity location intelligence system can greatly aid agriculture and healthcare services with precision location and digital addresses that can be used to provide services. Additionally, Pataa can be integrated into the advanced digilocker technology for provision of geotagged and verified addresses. We are all set to launch applications for enterprises and organizations based on location intelligence and augmented reality to help in operational efficiency and excellence.”

Sean Yalamanchi, President, Infovision

“Several measures have been taken for Digital India from the standpoint of the IT sector. All of these are encouraging signs for the IT industry, as they will increase demand for candidates and services. To begin with, the announcement of a National Data Governance policy will allow access to a wealth of anonymized data. To realise the vision of “Make AI in India, Make AI Work for India,” the establishment of three centres of excellence for Artificial Intelligence in collaboration with top educational institutions is a bold step.

Several measures have been taken for Digital India from the standpoint of the IT sector. All of these are encouraging signs for the IT industry, as they will increase demand for candidates and services

“Furthermore, the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 will assist in the skilling of lakhs of youth over the next three years by covering new age courses for Industry 4.0 such as coding, AI, robotics, mechatronics, IOT, 3D printing, drones, and soft skills.”