Maharashtra Gears Up to Draft Its First AI Policy, Aligning with National IndiaAI Mission

Maharashtra Govt Planning To Draft AI Policy Soon

Shelar emphasised on the importance of leveraging AI to attract business, create jobs and boost industries The Maharashtra government is looking to draft its independent artificial intelligence (AI) policy soon as a part of its effort to position itself as a major player in this segment, said state IT minister Ashish Shelar. The minister directed the authorities to draft the state's first independent AI policy, during a meeting conducted with IT department officials on Tuesday (December 31), ET reported, citing an official statement. During the meeting, Shelar emphasised on the importance of leveraging AI to attract business, create jobs and boost industries. "By adopting AI, we can drive economic growth, generate jobs for the youth, and strengthen our position in the global AI landscape," he said. The meeting was attended by IT department secretary Parrag Jaiin Nainutia and MahaIT managing director Jayshree Bhoj, among other senior officials from the department. This comes at a time when the central government is aggressively taking steps to position India as a leading AI player globally. Earlier in 2024, the union cabinet approved the IndiaAI Mission with an allocation of INR 10,372 Cr over the course of next five years. Back then, the government said that the funds will be used to foster innovation in the homegrown AI ecosystem and implement the Mission's vision via a public-private partnership (PPP) model. A few days back, the government opened a second round of bids for its India AI Mission, focusing on areas like watermarking and labelling, ethical AI and risk assessment.

Maharashtra to Draft New AI Policy with Focus on Datasets

The proposed new policy will align with the national IndiaAI mission launched by the Central government with a budget of ₹10,372 crore. Maharashtra is set to draft its first AI policy, aiming to position the state as a leader in AI advancements. State Information and Technology Minister Ashish Shelar announced this initiative during a meeting with IT Department officials. The proposed AI policy will include initiatives that will leverage AI to boost industries and create employment opportunities in AI-related fields. They will also work towards enhancing public services and governance through AI-driven solutions. The state aims to prepare its workforce for AI-driven changes in industries such as healthcare, agriculture, education, and logistics through specialised training programs and industry collaborations. The new policy will align with the national IndiaAI Mission launched by the central government with a budget of ₹10,372 crore. This national initiative includes programs such as the India AI Datasets Platform, application development, and support for AI startups. Collecting and aggregating non-personal datasets from January 2025 to build a comprehensive database for the India AI Datasets Platform will be one of Maharashtra's policy goals. The draft policy is expected to be unveiled later this year after incorporating stakeholder input and aligning with Maharashtra's economic and social priorities. Experts and industry leaders will review it before finalisation. Besides Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and others are independently progressing on their AI initiatives to boost the economy in their respective states. A few days ago, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella visited the Telangana government, where strategic talks on expanding Microsoft data centres and other initiatives in the state were discussed.