Centre comes out with strategy on robotics to make India global leader in the field by 2030

India has outlined its ambitious roadmap for its artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics sectors, envisaging it as a pivotal enabler to help take the country’s digital economy hit one trillion dollars in valuation and position India as a global leader in the field of robotics by 2030. The government, on Friday, released the draft national strategy on robotics for public consultation.

“There are currently three centres of excellence for AI and robotics, and the government plans to have approximately 20 more. AI will fuel the manufacturing industry (as also) healthtech and agritech,” said Union Electronics and IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, unveiling the draft national strategy on robotics.

The policy aims to actualise the transformative potential of robotics and position India as a global leader in the field by the turn of the decade. It also builds upon ‘Make in India 2.0’ which has identified robotics as one of the 27 sub-sectors to further enhance India’s integration in the global value chain.

The strategy focuses on strengthening all pillars in the innovation cycle of robotic technology, while also providing a robust institutional framework for ensuring the effective implementation of these interventions. “A whole-of-ecosystem approach is adopted to ensure the engagement of all relevant stakeholders to drive innovation, development, deployment, and adoption of this robotic technology in India” according to a note issued by the government on Friday.

India has already made its mark in the field of robotics, ranking among the top ten nations in the use of industrial robots. The new policy’s effort will be to build upon this, and make India not just a heavy user of robots, but also a hub for its manufacture and technology.

A holistic and coordinated mechanism is envisioned to strengthen India’s industrial capabilities, increase domestic value addition, augment employability, and help India emerge as a 'Robotics Hub' for the world. “The strategy also aims to fully maximise the benefits of an AI-integrated society by leveraging the momentum of the government of India’s AI initiatives to drive advancements in robotic technology in India,” says the new draft policy.

The new policy aims to create a conducive environment for the growth and development of the robotics sector in India, drive innovation and economic growth. It is open for public and stakeholder feedback till the end of this month.