India is working to make artificial intelligence affordable and ubiquitous to establish it as a transformative public infrastructure [1].

This strategy aims to replicate the success of India's digital connectivity surge, ensuring that advanced technology is not restricted to elite tiers of society but serves as a foundational utility for all citizens.

The push for AI commoditization draws parallels to the country's previous data revolution. Between September 2016 and 2019, the cost of a gigabyte of data fell from approximately $4 to under 30 cents [1]. This drastic reduction in cost acted as a catalyst for mass adoption across the subcontinent.

As a result of that pricing shift, 500 million people came online in five years [1]. The scale of this expansion demonstrated how lowering the barrier to entry for digital tools could rapidly alter the socio-economic landscape of the country.

Proponents of the new initiative said that making artificial intelligence affordable should become the next public infrastructure revolution [1]. By treating AI as a commodity rather than a luxury service, the government and private sectors can drive innovation in agriculture, healthcare, and education.

This approach aligns with India's broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model, which focuses on open standards and interoperability. By commoditizing AI, the state seeks to prevent a monopoly on intelligence tools, ensuring that small businesses and rural populations have the same access as large urban corporations [1].

“500 million people came online in half a decade”

India is attempting to pivot AI from a high-cost proprietary tool to a low-cost public utility. If the government successfully mirrors the 2016-2019 data price collapse, it could democratize AI access on a scale previously unseen, potentially accelerating economic productivity across its vast rural and urban populations.