- India's AI focus is shifting from research to mass adoption with user-friendly software platforms
- Sarvam AI offers a subscription service starting at Rs 1,000 monthly for building software via prompts
- Technological change is unprecedented and outpacing governments and institutions' ability to adapt
India's AI ambitions are moving beyond research labs and into mass adoption, with Pratyush Kumar pitching a future where anyone can build software using simple prompts.
Speaking at the NDTV Ind.AI Summit, the CEO and co founder of Sarvam AI said the next big market is a platform that makes "software for making software." The subscription starts at about Rs 1,000 a month, and users can build applications by simply describing what they want.
Kumar framed the push as part of a larger AI shift that is moving faster than governments and institutions can handle. "Technologically this is unprecedented," he said.
"The rate of change of technology, the impact it can have across sectors is unprecedented. It is happening much faster than institutions, countries can absorb change. So we are going to have trouble adapting to this."
The shape of job disruption, he added, will become clear over time. But he insisted the upside could be transformative if human welfare stays at the center.
Referring to the summit's theme, "Sarwa Janahitaya Sarwajana Sukaya," Kumar said AI must aim for "the welfare for all and the happiness for all." He argued India is uniquely positioned to attempt that model.
"India as a country still physically not the world class infrastructure that we desire, but top class digital infrastructure," he said, pointing to the foundations laid by Aadhaar and other public digital systems. With that base in place, Kumar said, this is India's moment to imagine a public good version of AI and offer it to the world.
He maintained that India can compete globally on research and development standards, but must also shape AI around inclusion and scale.
