India's economic survey wants AI to go small (and public)
India's latest Economic Survey (2025-26), out today, says it's time to move from massive, power-hungry AI models to smaller, more practical ones that actually work for India.
The report points out that these mini AIs are a better fit for our limited resources—and suggests a national "AI-OS" platform so a broad set of stakeholders — startups, researchers, public agencies and developers — can access and build with shared datasets and compute infrastructure.
Why is this a big deal right now?
Smaller AI models can run on everyday devices like your phone, making them way more accessible for startups and research institutions—not just big tech companies.
The survey highlights that these tools are cheaper to develop and easier for a broader set of stakeholders to use, opening up new opportunities across different sectors.
What does this mean for you?
If the government pulls off its "AI-OS" plan—kind of like how UPI changed payments—AI could become something a broad set of stakeholders can tap into, not just huge corporations.
The survey also warns about job risks from rapid AI growth and calls for more "Earn Learn Initiative" programs so young people can skill up as things change.