The NITI Aayog has unveiled a landmark study titled AI for Inclusive Societal Development, which outlines a comprehensive roadmap to use artificial intelligence (AI) and frontier technologies to improve the lives and livelihoods of India’s 490 million informal workers. Developed in collaboration with Deloitte, the report focuses on leveraging technology to bring social protection, productivity, and opportunities to workers who contribute nearly half of India’s GDP yet remain outside formal systems.
Mission Digital ShramSetu: A National Call for Inclusion
At the heart of the roadmap lies Mission Digital ShramSetu, a proposed national initiative aimed at making AI accessible, affordable, and impactful for every informal worker. The mission envisions deploying AI, blockchain, and immersive learning tools to tackle challenges such as lack of financial access, inadequate skilling, and weak social security mechanisms.
The NITI Aayog report stresses that AI alone cannot transform the informal sector without intentional human intervention and coordinated investments. It calls for collaboration among government, industry, academia, and civil society to ensure that emerging technologies truly reach the workers who need them most.
Building Human-Centric, Tech-Enabled Growth
The study emphasises that inclusion must go beyond rhetoric — it must be built through policies and partnerships that bridge the digital divide. The roadmap argues that without immediate intervention, informal workers’ average income could stagnate at $6,000 by 2047, far below the $14,500 target needed for India to achieve high-income nation status.
Also read: Services PMI Holds Steady at 60.9 in September
To reverse this trajectory, the report proposes large-scale AI-driven skilling programs, affordable access to frontier technologies, and innovation ecosystems focused on the informal economy. The mission’s success, NITI Aayog asserts, depends on combining technological breakthroughs with human intent and institutional collaboration.
Paving the Path to Viksit Bharat 2047
The initiative aligns closely with the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision of building a $30 trillion economy where no worker is left behind. NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub, which has over 100 experts from government, academia, and industry, will spearhead the mission’s implementation across 20+ sectors.
By giving voice and visibility to informal workers, the roadmap represents a shift in India’s AI discourse — from automation and efficiency to equity and empowerment. If implemented effectively, Mission Digital ShramSetu could redefine how technology supports inclusive growth and social resilience in the world’s most populous democracy.