
Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman revealed the Union Budget for 2025-26 today, Saturday, February 1, marking a significant moment in India's Artificial Intelligence (AI) journey towards enhancing its avenues in various sectors such as agriculture, health, education and others.
With the country's IndiaAI Mission moving towards the agenda of ensuring India's development by 2047 (Viksit Bharat), FM Sitharaman emphasised the decision to add new Centres of Excellence (CoEs) to boost the venture. She said, "I already announced three Centres of Excellence in AI for education, Agriculture, Health, and Sustainable Cities in 2023, now a COE in AI for education will be set up with a total outlay of 500 crores..."
Also, the FM announced that under the Saksham Anganwadi and Portion 2.0 programme, which provides nutritional support to more than eight crore children, one crore pregnant women and lactating mothers all over the country, and about 20 lakh adolescent girls in aspirational districts and the Northeast region, "the cost norms for nutritional support will be enhanced appropriately".
Also, 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in government schools in the next five years to cultivate, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced during the course of her budget speech.