In a column written by Professor Amit
Kapoor, Honorary Chairman, Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) for Financial
Express, a few interesting and notable facts were mentioned:
• The development of AI and its economic
benefits are currently concentrated only in some large urban areas.
• He cautions this could lead to smaller cities getting sidelined. This could
worsen economic inequality between regions.
The reasons for the barriers in
smaller cities mentioned are mainly the infrastructure gaps - where only ~15%
households have high-speed fibre connections in the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities,
with many lacking basic internet accesses. The next important factor has been
the high cost involved.
The author provides 3 solutions for
short term to long term. In the short to medium term, the policymakers must
strive to improve connectivity, digital literacy and basic infrastructure.
Metros can develop the tech, but smaller cities should adapt it for local
needs, such as informal or small-scale regional businesses. In the long term,
the tier 2 and tier 3 cities must focus on developing indigenously rooted
startups, region-specific AI models catering to local needs
For that, he mentions that finally
the government should create the necessary infrastructure, provide low-cost
incentives to metro-based startups to set up operations in smaller towns, and
funding would also be needed initially as such initiative are not only costly
but expensive too.
OUR VIEW:
The most important fact mentioned by
the author, Professor Amit Kapoor, has been that for India to really develop in
the Digital space, it has to grow beyond the Tier 1 cities. An overall
development in any field cannot be done successfully if it does not percolate
to the other less developed cities, as the latter too contribute a lot towards
development of the country. As India pushes for incorporating AI tools in
virtually every sector, including Agriculture, its gradual penetration towards the
semi-urban and rural areas is needed. The government has to take the maximum
responsibility in facilitating this shift due to the high cost involved and
education needed for the same.
Link - AI growth beyond
metros - Opinion News | The Financial Express
