Signals · Policy Trackers

Layoffs.fyi data shows AI-led global tech layoffs hit 1.28 lakh employees by July 1, 2026 — already exceeding all of 2025. India accounts for 7.16% of the global total, the second-highest share after the US. Within India, education (21.67%) and finance (14.73%) saw the largest share of AI-linked job cuts.

MeitY is overhauling the IndiaAI Mission in response to export controls on frontier AI models from the US, shifting focus to four pillars: sovereignty, safety, talent, and research. A higher outlay than the original ₹10,372 crore is under active discussion with industry and researchers.

Google committed ₹75,000 crore ($9B) to India over 2 years — largest tech investment in India's history. Includes AI infrastructure (data centres), Gemini localisation for Indian languages, skilling programmes, and partnerships with Indian AI startups and IITs.

Krutrim, India's first AI unicorn, launched its production API platform with Krutrim-2 model access. Claims 50ms average latency and 40% lower cost than GPT-4 for Indian-language tasks. Supports all 22 scheduled Indian languages. Free tier available for developers.

The PM Kisan + AI programme now reaches 3 million Indian farmers with personalised crop disease detection and weather-based irrigation advice via WhatsApp. Built on AI4Bharat's vision models and Bhashini's voice interfaces in 12 regional languages.

The ₹10,372 crore IndiaAI Mission has begun disbursing funds across its 7 pillars — compute, datasets, research, skilling, and startups. GPU procurement is underway with domestic and international cloud partnerships. Startups can now apply for subsidised compute access.

India's tech industry hit $254B in revenue with AI-led services growing 28% YoY. India now exports AI services to 90+ countries. Key insight: 70% of Indian AI companies are in B2B enterprise — global delivery from Bangalore/Hyderabad. Report available free via NASSCOM.

OpenAI reports India is now its 3rd largest user base globally with 10M+ monthly active users. Hindi is the fastest-growing non-English language on ChatGPT. OpenAI has begun localising products for India and is in talks with the government on AI education partnerships.

NASSCOM and LinkedIn report that India will face a 500,000 AI talent shortfall by 2026. Highest demand: ML Engineers, Data Scientists, AI Product Managers, and Prompt Engineers. Salaries for senior AI roles have risen 35% YoY. Tier 2 cities are emerging hiring hubs.

The 2025 Union Budget allocated ₹500 crore for 5 National AI Excellence Centres at IITs and IISc. Additional ₹150 crore for AI4Bharat language research and ₹200 crore for an AI startup fund. Education and healthcare were named priority sectors for AI deployment.

Karnataka became the first Indian state with a comprehensive AI policy — covering AI startup incentives (₹50 lakh grants), talent attraction, data governance sandboxes, and a dedicated AI regulatory body. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are developing similar frameworks.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act rules are now open for public comment. Key provisions affect how AI systems process Indian citizen data — consent frameworks, data localisation, and cross-border transfer restrictions. Compliance deadline expected 18 months after rules are notified.

Government of India tables the Digital India Act with provisions on AI accountability, platform liability, and algorithmic transparency requirements.

Karnataka announces Rs 3,000 crore AI fund, dedicated AI sandbox regulations, and Global AI Hub in Bangalore. First state with comprehensive AI policy.