How Budget 2025 to Fuel AI, Digital Expansion, and GCC Growth in India

The much anticipated Union Budget 2025, has its fair share of pivoting digital at scale and set the stage for leveraging the emerging tech ecosystem. Let’s here look at how the government proposes to leverage digital transformation.

Advancing Indian Knowledge Through Digital Adoption

To strengthen access to education in Indian languages, the government will implement the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme, providing digital-form Indian language books for schools and higher education. This initiative aims to help students better understand their subjects.

Additionally, the Gyan Bharatam Mission will focus on the survey, documentation, and conservation of India's rich manuscript heritage in collaboration with academic institutions, museums, libraries, and private collectors. More than 1 crore manuscripts will be covered under this initiative, contributing to the National Digital Repository of Indian Knowledge Systems, which will facilitate knowledge sharing.

A Digital Public Infrastructure for International Trade

The government will establish BharatTradeNet (BTN), a unified digital public infrastructure for international trade. This platform will streamline trade documentation and financing solutions, complementing the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) and aligning with international best practices.

Additionally, in line with the commitment made in July 2024, all processes, including the implementation of appellate orders, are being fully digitalized and made paperless over the next two years.

Promoting AI Excellence in Education

Building on the AI initiatives announced in 2023, which focused on agriculture, health, and sustainable cities, the government will now set up a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Education with an outlay of ₹500 crore. This center will leverage AI to enhance learning outcomes and drive innovation in the education sector.

Jumpstarting Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Tier-2 Cities

To position India as a hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), a national framework will guide states in promoting these centers in emerging tier-2 cities. This framework will include 16 measures focused on enhancing talent availability, improving infrastructure, introducing building bylaw reforms, and establishing mechanisms for industry collaboration.

This budget for 2025 underscores the government’s commitment to digital transformation, AI-driven innovation, and positioning India as a global hub for technology and trade.

You can get the full trasnscript of the Union Budget 2025 here.