How India Is Boldly Building a New Tech Roadmap From Classrooms to Combat Zones

For months, 16-year-old Aman Gujar from Rajasthan struggled with mathematics. No matter how much he revised the syllabus, his marks refused to rise. That changed when his school introduced an AI tutor. With steady practice and clearer explanations, Aman began to feel more confident — and when results came, his improvement was clear.

Stories like Aman’s highlight a larger shift already underway. Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, and advanced robotics are no longer distant possibilities; they are reshaping economies and governance models worldwide. By 2030, these frontier technologies are projected to generate trillions of dollars in new economic value, transforming competitiveness across sectors.

At the centre of India’s response is the NITI Frontier Tech Hub (FTH), an initiative of the NITI Aayog, developed in partnership with The Better India. The Hub has been designed to accelerate the country’s readiness for frontier technologies and to establish India as a globally recognised frontier tech nation. It brings focus to technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, drones, IoT, robotics, cloud computing, and even space tech — areas that are reshaping the world. 

The idea is not just to keep pace, but also to make India a global leader in how these tools are used. What makes the Hub unique is its approach of bringing together the government, startups, researchers, and industry experts to build real-world solutions. 

Whether it’s using AI to improve healthcare, drones for agriculture, or blockchain for transparent governance, the goal is to ensure that frontier technologies work for people, creating impact that is both inclusive and sustainable.

It invites stakeholders across the board – startups, innovators, States, and more – to access deep dives and practical tools to implement these innovations in their own realms. So, more than a repository, it serves as a strategic platform that aligns innovation with national development priorities and long-term goals, including the vision of achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047 — India’s aspiration to become a developed, inclusive, and innovation-driven economy.

Why the FTH matters and to whom

Think of the Frontier Tech Hub (FTH) as a meeting ground where very different worlds come together under one vision — building India’s future through innovation. 

For policymakers, it acts like a lighthouse, scanning the horizon of emerging technologies and helping shape strategies that are resilient and inclusive. For investors, it is a compass that cuts through uncertainty, pointing to real-world use cases and impact-driven solutions that are worth backing. 

In academia and research labs, the Hub becomes a bridge, aligning bright ideas with national priorities in agriculture, healthcare, defence, or education. And for startups and innovators, it is a launchpad and a place to find inspiration, mentorship, and pathways to scale their work. 

In essence, the FTH is not built for one audience alone; it is a living ecosystem designed to empower everyone from a young entrepreneur in Bengaluru to a policymaker in Delhi, making frontier technologies not just the domain of a few, but a shared resource shaping India’s collective progress.

At its core, the FTH underscores innovation with direct human benefit, ensuring that technology development remains outcome-driven rather than abstract.

NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam aptly captures the vision: “India is at a pivotal crossroads in this evolution. I firmly believe that we are not only well-positioned to participate in this new era but to lead it. Our vision for AI — and indeed for all frontier technologies — must be one that is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable by design. Our goal is clear: India must not only emerge as a global leader in technological innovation but also as a champion of responsible, ethical, and inclusive development.”

He adds, “We have the talent, the resources, and with the right strategies in place, we can establish a new global standard for AI governance and deployment. The NITI Frontier Tech Hub will play a pivotal role in this journey, harnessing the power of our ecosystem to transform India into a true frontier tech nation.”

The NITI Aayog positions the Frontier Tech Hub (FTH) as the backbone of India’s pathway to Viksit Bharat by 2047. Working backwards from this long-term vision, the Hub defines sector-specific priorities for 2035 in areas such as manufacturing, healthcare, and education.

Showcasing real-world impact 

Across India, the promise of frontier technologies is no longer confined to research papers or laboratories; it is already reshaping lives in unexpected ways. In a small hospital in Rajasthan’s Tonk, children like Aman, who once struggled with mathematics, now race through sums with the help of PadhaiWithAI, a personalised learning tool championed by former District Manager Soumya Jha. Within just six weeks of its deployment, the district witnessed not only higher pass rates but also a remarkable surge in the number of high performers, showing how artificial intelligence can bridge rural learning gaps.

In another corner of the country, ICU specialists in Bengaluru are quietly saving lives hundreds of kilometres away. Through Cloudphysician’s Tele-ICU, doctors in remote hospitals are now connected 24/7 to advanced critical care. More than 130,000 patients across 17 states have already benefitted, proving that technology can turn geography from a barrier into a lifeline.

The frontier stretches into the skies, too. At IIT Madras, the team at Agnikul Cosmos has achieved what was once unthinkable – a single-piece, 3D-printed rocket engine, the first of its kind in the world. With their private launchpad taking shape at Sriharikota, the dream of democratising small satellite launches is no longer distant.

On the ground, technology is redefining how India farms and fights. Startups such as Fasal, Fyllo, GramworkX, and Nurture.farm are arming farmers with AI-driven tools that predict pests, optimise irrigation, and slash pesticide use by up to 60 percent.

The result? Nine billion litres of water saved and productivity rising by a quarter across millions of acres. Meanwhile, in extreme terrains where soldiers once carried impossible loads, the Army now deploys Aero Arc’s robotic MULEs, the four-legged machines that can deliver supplies, detect bombs, and even support rescue missions. Over a hundred of these units are already at work, blending robotics with resilience.

Together, these stories illustrate how frontier technologies are not abstract promises but lived realities, weaving themselves into classrooms, hospitals, farms, launchpads, and border posts. 

Charting India’s technological future

The NITI Frontier Tech Hub is more than just a repository of ideas — it is a compass guiding India’s ambitions as it moves towards 2047. By tying the promise of frontier technologies to the everyday lives of citizens, it ensures that innovation is not left in labs or boardrooms, but felt in classrooms, hospitals, and farms. 

Picture this: a farmer in a remote village checking soil health through an AI-enabled device, or a young girl in a small-town school exploring the solar system through immersive virtual tools. These are not distant dreams, but glimpses of the future that the Hub is working to unlock.

Ultimately, India’s technological journey is not about racing to catch up with the world, but about leading with a model of growth that is inclusive, sustainable, and unmistakably our own. And in that journey, the Frontier Tech Hub stands as a catalyst shaping not just the India of 2047, but the India we want to live in today.

Witness the transformation here, at frontiertech.niti.gov.in/. 

Edited by Khushi Arora and Divya Sethu