India's policy think tank Niti Aayog will release a landmark national policy on artificial intelligence (AI), outlining the scope of research and for the adoption and commercialization of the technology, reported Economic Times.

The upcoming national strategy which is said to be released in order to counter China's fast adaptation of new age technologies like AI, the NITI Aayog will lay out short, medium and long term goals to be achieved by 2022, 2026 and 2030, respectively. Commercial rollout of AI in sectors such as agriculture, health, education, banking, retail and transportation, may also be proposed.

To recall, in last September Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had formed a policy group to study AI and recommend a framework for its adoption. Prior to which the then Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had set up task force to explore possibilities to leverage the opportunities that AI has to offer for development across various fields.

Additionally, the upcoming policy may also suggest incentives for startups and venture capital funds that undertake research and adoption of AI. These guidelines would be based on half a dozen pilots the Aayog has undertaken on AI in areas of agriculture, health, education and creation of other social infrastructure.

Also, the government was considering to set up another high-level committee which would be responsible for the implementation and monitoring of AI.

Besides, the national policy on AI would also emphasize on the need for hiring experts in AI domain.

Recently, India’s IT ministry has also constituted four committees to thoroughly study on various aspects of Artificial Intelligence for citizen use.

Since start of this year a lot of launch activities were seen in Artificial Intelligence space, as last month PM Modi launched India's first AI research centre for social good followed by announcement made by tech giant Adobe to establish an AI Lab in Hyderabad. In the same month Maharashtra govt. has also announced to bring India’s first artificial intelligence center in alliance with Canadian government. In September 2017, Karnataka state government had too announced that Bengaluru will soon have India’s first multi-faceted artificial intelligence and robotics centre to established in IIIT-Bengaluru campus.

Notably, in this year's financial budget, the finance minister had asked the Niti Aayog to initiate a national programme to direct government's efforts in the area of AI. In the budget 2018, the Digital India fund has been doubled To Rs. 3073 crore, which include AI and Robotics, and establishment of centres of excellence for research, training and skilling in robotics, artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing, big data analysis, quantum communication and internet of things (IoT).

Coming onto India's strategy to counter China in AI, with China making rapid progress in AI-based research, it is imperative that India view AI as a critical element of its national security strategy, recommends an August 2016 report titled India and the Artificial Intelligence Revolution. Authored by Shashi Shekhar Vempati of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the report advocates spurring AI-based innovation and establishing AI-ready infrastructure as prerequisites for preparing India’s jobs and skills markets for an AI-based future

In order to counter China, India has recently joined hands with Japan to launch robotics and artificial intelligence in the defense segment. Moreover, Malcolm Frank, head of strategy of Cognizant, a world-leading professional services firm, said in an interview that India along with United States and China are way ahead of everyone else in the AI game and are currently the top three contenders for the numero uno throne.

Additionally, in February 2017, the then Indian defense minister had announced that the government is planning to set up a Defence Innovation Fund to encourage new entrants in the aviation sector, especially startups.
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