IndiaAI Mission: MeitY offers Rs 1 crore, govt contract for AI innovations in healthcare, agri, climate and accessibility

The IndiaAI Mission was launched in March 2024 with a corpus of Rs 10,732 crore

Under the IndiaAI Mission, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is looking for artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in the areas of healthcare, agriculture, climate change, and for persons with specific learning disabilities.

The ministry is currently inviting applications from interested candidates, and after several rounds of evaluation, the selected entity will receive a contract to deploy their solution for use by Centre and associated entities for a period of four years and will also be given up to Rs 1 crore.

This is being taken under the one of the seven pillars of IndiaAI -- the IndiaAI Application Development Initiative (IADI), and the ministry has specified up to 15 problem statements in the application document. September 16 is the last date for receiving applications.

Teams can participate in three categories: Existing Solutions, Prototypes, and Ideas. Up to five teams will be shortlisted in the initial stage and awarded funding of ₹5 lakh each to develop their solutions further.

In stage 2, three teams will be selected who will receive up to Rs 25 lakh to further hone their prototypes. The winners of stage 2, will get the chance to deploy their solutions in the government and also receive funding of up to Rs 1 crore.

The initiative outlined by the MeitY highlighted 15 key problem areas for AI-based solutions across healthcare, agriculture, climate change, and assistive technologies, according to the initiative document.

In healthcare, the initiative focuses on AI-assisted diagnostics, such as detecting diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis, and breast cancer through X-rays, aiming to improve early detection and reduce diagnostic load on medical professionals.

Additionally, AI tools are proposed for detecting ophthalmological conditions like diabetic retinopathy and cataracts, as well as strengthening vector-borne disease surveillance for illnesses like dengue and malaria.

For agriculture, MeitY has sought AI applications to improve farmers’ decision-making. This includes climate-sensitive advisory services in Indian languages and the use of remote sensing to enhance food security.

AI-driven credit scoring models could also support financial inclusion for small farmers by analyzing alternative data, MeitY said.

The initiative also aims to support individuals with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) like dyslexia by developing AI-powered multimedia tools to improve access to educational content. In climate change, MeitY has encouraged innovators to develop AI solutions to enhance early warning systems for natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and heatwaves.