India to lead in AI, frugal engineering to solve real issues: Infosys Chairman Mr. Nandan Nilekani

India’s vast population, diversity, and scale provide a unique opportunity for companies to innovate using frugal engineering and address real-world challenges, said Infosys Chairman Mr. Nandan Nilekani on August 29, 2025. Speaking at an event hosted by Walmart Global Tech, the technology arm of the world’s largest retailer, he highlighted that the mass adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) requires practical, inclusive applications. He identified three key areas for AI deployment in India: global capability centres building AI transformation programmes across parent enterprises, information technology (IT) service providers supporting clients in their AI journeys, and digital public infrastructure, which forms the foundation for AI capabilities. He illustrated the impact with an example of a farmer in Bihar receiving real-time guidance in his local language on farming practices and market access, demonstrating scalable and accessible AI solutions.

He cited India’s Aadhaar unique identification programme and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) under the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) as benchmarks of population-scale innovation. Aadhaar’s minimalist design with four identification fields enabled daily enrolment of around 1.5 million people, while UPI’s interoperable and privacy-protected single-page application programming interface (API) facilitated inclusive real-time payments. He noted that while large language models (LLMs) are becoming faster, better, and cheaper globally, India could focus on developing small language models (SLMs) that are cost-effective and trained for local AI experiences. Simplicity, scalability, and inclusion, he emphasised, are the hallmarks of India-centric technological innovation.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.