AI growth beyond metros

Large urban centres are leading the way in creating value in India’s artificial intelligence (AI) story. The economic value from AI is rapidly clustering in these metropolitan cities, and smaller cities risk getting sidelined. For India, it is crucial that AI development is inclusive and tier-II and -III cities equally benefit from the value that AI generates. Moving forward, the vision for these smaller cities must be grounded in developing indigenous and region-specific AI models that cater to the specific needs of their informal and small-scale businesses. Achieving this will require AI policies that not only differ from those designed for metropolitan innovation hubs but are also aligned with the realities of smaller cities.