AI for Viksit Bharat: The Capacity Building Imperative

Abstract

The session opened with a welcome from the Capacity Building Commission and an address by its chair, Shirdi S. Radha Chawahan, outlining Mission Karmayogi’s vision of a competency‑led, citizen‑centric civil service. A moderated panel—featuring senior representatives from Google, Brazil’s public‑service innovation ministry, and Apolitical—examined how AI can be embedded in government capacity‑building, the technical and ethical challenges of layering AI on legacy systems, and the need for small, sector‑specific language models. Audience questions highlighted gaps in ethical‑framework awareness, evaluation of pilots, and climate‑responsible AI deployment. The Minister of State, Dr. Jitendra Singh, formally launched a “Digital Capacity Building Alliance” as a global public‑good framework, emphasizing India’s proven digital infrastructure and the urgency of scaling AI‑enabled governance responsibly. The session concluded with a brief photograph and thanks to all participants.

Detailed Summary

• Welcome and framing – The moderator thanked Mustafa (likely the MC) and introduced the theme: AI as a “great leveler” and the next transformative technology after electricity. A quote from a Bollywood song was used to illustrate the merging of individual identity with AI (“me or meri tanhai = me and my AI”).
• Policy backdrop – Emphasis was placed on the need for “trust‑based collaborative ethical frameworks” to meet the rapid demands of the AI‑enabled Digital Public Good (DPG) era. The session was positioned within the broader “India AI Impact Summit” themes of economic development, social good, safe and trusted AI, and human capital.

2. Chairperson’s Opening Address – Shirdi S. Radha Chawahan

• Mission Karmayogi’s pledge – Explicitly disclosed that the speech was handwritten, not AI‑generated, underscoring the commitment to human‑centred communication.
• Human‑centric AI vision – Cited the Prime Minister’s “Mantri Vision” for ethical, accountable, inclusive AI governance. Stressed that public‑service competence must combine technical skill with “humanistic capacity” (intellect, diligence, values).
• Future AI architecture – Predicted a shift from monolithic foundation models to small, context‑specific, sectoral language models that run on edge devices.
• Capacity‑building roadmap – Described the Commission’s work on holistic policy frameworks, operational guidelines for competency‑gap identification, personalized learning pathways, dynamic governance models, and continuous learner‑feedback loops. The “Community Portal” was highlighted as a scalable platform serving India’s diverse governance ecosystem.
• Call to partnership – Positioned Mission Karmayogi as a global public good that can guide other governments toward inclusive, ethical AI‑driven services.

3. Panel Introduction

• The moderator (named Amur Guraiser in the transcript) introduced the panelists:
  • S. Ramadorai – Chairperson of Karmayogi Bharat, former MD & CEO of TACC Consultancy Services, advisor to the Prime Minister on the National Council for Skill Development.
  • Guilherme Alberto Almeida de Almeida – Senior official in Brazil’s Ministry of Management & Innovation in Public Services, focusing on governance reform and digital transformation.
  • Anirudh Srivastava – Chief Architect at Google, leading public‑policy AI engagements in India.
  • Robyn Scott – Co‑founder & CEO of Apolitical, a global network for public‑servant learning.

4. Panelist Contributions

4.1. Anirudh Srivastava (Google) – “Technical & Operational Risks of Layering AI on Legacy Systems”

• Legacy silos – Existing government IT systems are built around specific problems, with data and business logic isolated in silos. AI demands holistic, contextual data to train useful models.
• Re‑engineering needed – To harness AI, the underlying architecture must be re‑designed, not merely over‑laid.
• Multilingual, edge‑ready AI – Highlighted the necessity of supporting India’s myriad languages; AI agents should function on low‑resource devices (e.g., a mobile used by an ASHA worker).
• Process transformation – Emphasized that technology change must be accompanied by process redesign and governance updates (security, data‑sovereignty, exposure vectors).

4.2. Guilherme Almeida (Brazil) – “India‑Brazil Collaboration on AI Governance”

• Strategic partnership – Noted frequent technology exchanges (this being his fifth India visit) and identified complementary capacities between the two nations.
• Capacity‑building structures – Brazil runs an online civil‑servant training platform similar to Karmayogi and has built four profile‑based tracks (senior leaders, IT managers, data curators, general civil servants).
• Ethical‑assessment framework – Brazil has introduced a national AI ethical‑assessment guide, balancing safeguards with the need for responsible AI deployment.
• Coalition building – Mentioned collaboration with Apolitical and the potential to form a global coalition of willing organisations to share AI knowledge for public service.

4.3. Robyn Scott (Apolitical) – “Global Gaps in AI Readiness & Climate‑Responsible AI”

• Scale of training impact – Google.org has funded free AI training for 1 million public servants worldwide; 400 000 have already completed it, including many in India.
• Ethical‑framework awareness gap – Cited an 8 000‑person global survey: only 26 % of AI implementers understood their own government’s ethical framework; the rest were “freestyling.”
• Pilot‑evaluation disconnect – While 72 % of leaders reported a pilot planned for the year, only 45 % had a concrete evaluation plan.
• Optimism & economic upside – Over 90 % of public servants are optimistic about AI; BCG estimates a $1.75 trillion productivity gain if AI is deployed correctly.
• AI & climate – Described two strands:
  1. Green AI – Building energy‑efficient models and making data‑centers carbon‑neutral (Google’s 2030 commitment).
  2. AI for climate policy – Using AI to monitor forests, detect deforestation, and support reforestation (Brazil’s Rural Environmental Registry example).

4.4. Panel Moderator (Ramadorai) – “Synthesis & Forward‑Look”

• Re‑emphasised the need to embed AI within workforce‑transformation frameworks and to help shape global norms for responsible AI.
• Announced that the summit would launch a blueprint for a Digital Capacity Building Alliance, a shared framework for AI‑enabled public‑service training.

5. Audience Q&A

Questioner	Core Question	Key Points from Responses
Chandr Vikash (Green President, Kalk Federation)	“Is Viksit Bharat by 2047 realistic? What concrete roadmap is needed?”	Panelists stressed that 2026‑2027 is the critical window for concrete actions; the Digital Capacity Building Alliance is the intended roadmap.
Prof. Charu (Indian Institute of Public Administration)	“How can we create a globally‑applicable AI impact‑assessment tool that is hyper‑localised?”	Robyn Scott echoed the need for a generic, collaborative, international AI impact‑assessment toolkit that can be adapted across organisational levels.
General audience (unidentified)	“What about the environmental footprint of AI deployments?”	Srivastava reiterated Google’s 2030 carbon‑neutral data‑centre pledge and stressed the importance of energy‑efficient models. Almeida highlighted Brazil’s AI‑driven forest‑monitoring systems as a climate‑positive use case.

6. Government Launch – Digital Capacity Building Alliance

• Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh formally launched the Alliance by pressing a remote‑control button.
• Key articulation – India’s scale (1.4 bn citizens, 36 states, 6 15 000 + villages) demands an ever‑evolving capacity‑building system. The i‑Get Karmayogi platform (national digital learning platform) now integrates AI‑enabled personalized learning paths, smart decision‑support, and adaptive mobile capacity.
• Alliance composition – Envisioned as a global forum comprising:
  • Policy makers (design standards, ethical norms)
  • Industry (open‑source commons, specialised solutions)
  • Research & incubation networks (knowledge sharing)
  • Civil society (equity & accountability)
  • DPG partners (ecosystem orchestration)
  • Start‑ups (co‑creation & rapid prototyping)
• Mission statement – To create a non‑proprietary, scalable foundation for capacity‑building across nations, embodying the principles of trust, empathy, inclusion, and moral‑ethical systems (M‑A‑N‑N‑R).

7. Ministerial Keynote – Dr. Jitendra Singh

• Re‑affirmed the Prime Minister’s vision: a human‑centric AI approach, where every decision retains a human “hand”.
• Policy emphasis – “Maximum governance, minimum government” → citizen‑centric, transparent, and accountable services.
• Capacity‑building as a strategic lever – AI must be a tool for learning, not a replacement for human judgment.
• Success metrics – Cited 95 % grievance‑disposal rate (with a cautionary note on “happiness index” disconnection), underscoring the need for human‑desk interventions alongside digital channels.
• International recognition – Referenced praise from the IMF chief on India’s AI progress.
• Illustrative case study – Described a tele‑medicine workflow where an AI‑driven “virtual doctor” converses in local dialects (e.g., Bhojpuri), enhancing accessibility while preserving human oversight.
• Call to action – Urged participants to adopt the Alliance blueprint, champion ethical AI, and ensure integrity remains the non‑substitutable core of public service.

8. Closing Remarks

• The moderator thanked the Minister, panelists, and audience, and announced a photo‑op with the dignitaries.
• A brief transition thanked everyone for their participation and reminded attendees of the forthcoming Roshim Karmayogi (likely a networking or follow‑up session).

Key Takeaways

• AI as a societal leveler: The session framed AI as the next transformative utility after electricity, demanding an ethical, human‑centric deployment.
• Small, sector‑specific language models are preferred over monolithic giants for Indian public‑service use‑cases, enabling edge deployment in diverse languages.
• Legacy systems must be re‑engineered: Siloed data and processes inhibit AI efficacy; holistic redesign is essential.
• Capacity‑building is the engine of AI success: Continuous, personalized learning pathways (e.g., via the i‑Get Karmayogi platform) are critical to empower civil servants.
• Global collaboration matters: India and Brazil share complementary strengths; a joint coalition (including Apolitical) can accelerate AI‑for‑public‑service standards.
• Ethical‑framework awareness is alarmingly low (only ~26 % of implementers understand it); systematic training and clear guidelines are needed.
• Pilot evaluation gaps: Many pilots lack post‑implementation assessment, risking wasted resources and unverified outcomes.
• Climate‑responsible AI: Google’s 2030 carbon‑neutral data‑centre pledge, together with AI‑driven environmental monitoring (e.g., Brazil’s forest registry), demonstrates pathways to sustainable AI.
• Digital Capacity Building Alliance: Launched as a global public good, the Alliance aims to unite policymakers, industry, academia, civil society, and start‑ups to co‑create open, scalable AI capacity‑building resources.
• Human integrity cannot be automated: Even with advanced AI, accountability, ethical judgment, and empathy remain uniquely human responsibilities.

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Prepared from the verbatim transcript of the “AI for Viksit Bharat: The Capacity Building Imperative” session held in Delhi (AI Impact Summit). All speaker attributions are based on the provided speaker list and contextual cues from the transcript. Unclear portions are marked with [unclear] in the source material.

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