Artificial Intelligence and Development in India: A Hierarchical Framework of Enablers, Constraints, and Sequencing

The study evaluates Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a conditional rather than automatic driver of India’s transition to a developed economy under the vision of Viksit Bharat-2047. It is a conceptual study that is based on a systematic analysis of government policies, a review of evidence from sectoral implementations, and global benchmarking studies. It employs a sectoral and institutional analytical framework to assess the deployment of Artificial Intelligence in agriculture, health, manufacturing, and public governance to highlighting the constraints that shape AI’s developmental outcomes. It suggests that the economic impact of AI relies less on enhanced algorithms and more on the alignment of four foundational enablers (4Cs): connectivity, computational capacity, contextual data, and workforce competency. The findings indicate that misalignment and incompleteness in fundamental conditions will lead to fragmented AI adoption and a narrow distribution of technological advancement. India’s ability to transform AI technology into a tool of sustained inclusive development will depend on a coherent institutional framework and the resolution of structural constraints in the proper sequence.