Republic Day 2026: India's AI Surge Propels it to World's Third Spot

• India has rapidly ascended to the third position globally in AI, behind only the US and China, according to Stanford University's Global AI Vibrancy Index 2025, a significant jump from seventh place two years prior.
• The Rs 10,372 crore India AI Mission, launched in 2024, is a government-backed initiative investing heavily in compute infrastructure, datasets, and skilling programs to democratize AI access.
• India's AI strategy focuses on solving human-centered problems for its 1.4 billion citizens, rather than just consumer chatbots or corporate automation.
• Key applied AI projects include KissanAI for agricultural insights, Bhashini for breaking language barriers across 20+ Indian languages, and AI-based traffic enforcement systems in cities like Delhi and Gurugram.
• Innovations like AI-powered microscopes for silkworm disease detection by the Central Silk Board and pest-control robots from IIT Kharagpur demonstrate AI's impact on traditional industries and sustainability.

Why It Matters: India's unique, human-centric approach to AI has propelled it to the third global rank, transforming various sectors.