India should focus on sector-specific AI models, not just generative AI: S Krishnan

India must shift its focus from the global hype around generative AI and invest in smaller, sector-specific artificial intelligence models to drive productivity across critical industries, Information Technology Secretary S Krishnan said on January 30.

Speaking at the Democratising AI Access through Distributed Compute: Perspectives from the Global South event, Krishnan emphasized that generative AI represents only a fraction of the AI ecosystem. “Why are we so obsessed with the generative AI part? Why are we not looking at other aspects of it?” he remarked.

He highlighted that AI models designed for specific tasks can often deliver more effective and practical outcomes than large, foundational models. “These smaller models can make a significant difference in productive sectors of the economy, whether it is healthcare, education, manufacturing or agriculture,” Krishnan added.

Rather than competing solely on large AI models, India has the opportunity to emerge as a global hub for AI applications and use cases. Krishnan encouraged startups and technology companies to develop solutions that can be widely deployed across the economy.

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The secretary outlined three pillars guiding India’s AI strategy: infrastructure, models, and data. On infrastructure, he stressed the need for an open playing field allowing private players to participate in building and running digital and AI systems.

“This public-private approach is increasingly seen by international organisations as suitable not only for India but also for much of the Global South,” he said.

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Krishnan also pointed to the expansion of government datasets through the AI Kosh platform. The repository now hosts over 7,000 open datasets and continues to grow, although significant volumes of data remain siloed and inaccessible. He invited private companies to contribute to the ecosystem to unlock the full potential of AI in India.