GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1996
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 30.07.2026
AI-BASED LITERACY AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR MSMEs
1996. MS. PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE:
Will the Minister of MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has initiated or proposed any programmes to promote...
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1996
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 30.07.2026 AI-BASED LITERACY AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR MSMEs
1996. MS. PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE:
Will the Minister of MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has initiated or proposed any programmes to promote Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based literacy and digital capacity building among Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of schemes or partnerships with industry, academic institutions, or technology platforms to provide AI training, tools and advisory support to MSMEs;
(c) whether any assessment has been conducted on the adoption of AI technologies by MSMEs and the challenges faced, including cost, skills gap and access to infrastructure and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the steps taken or proposed to ensure inclusive access to AI-driven solutions for MSMEs, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, to enhance productivity and competitiveness? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) to (d): The Government is taking several measures to promote adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies among MSMEs. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is implementing the IndiaAI Mission, approved on 7th March, 2024 with an outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore. The Mission comprises seven pillars, namely, IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre, IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI Future Skills, IndiaAI Startup Financing and Safe & Trusted AI, aimed at democratizing the benefits of AI across all strata of society, strengthening the AI innovation ecosystem and ensuring socially impactful, responsible and inclusive growth, including facilitating AI adoption across sectors. The Mission aims to democratize the benefits of AI across all strata of society including MSMEs to enhance their productivity and competitiveness.
The Government periodically assesses the extent of digital adoption among MSMEs through evaluation studies in collaboration with industry and research institutions. The Output-Outcome Monitoring Framework (OOMF) of NITI Aayog also serves as an institutional mechanism for evaluating outcomes of Government interventions.
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