“AI is India’s Path to 8% Growth” – Nandan Nilekani

Tech Visionary Calls for AI-Driven Innovation, Financial Inclusion & Economic Formalization

Infosys Chairman at Raisina Dialogue Stresses the Need for AI in Education, Healthcare & Finance

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🔹 AI at Population Scale: The Key to India’s Growth

Infosys Co-Founder and Chairman, Nandan Nilekani, has emphasized that for India to achieve 8% GDP growth, it must leverage AI technology at scale to reach and empower its vast population.

“India’s strength has always been applying technology at a population scale. Now, we have to do the same with AI—at low cost and high accessibility,” Nilekani stated at the Raisina Dialogue 2025 in New Delhi.

He highlighted that AI adoption in education, healthcare, and language accessibility will be critical for India’s next phase of economic expansion.

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🔹 Unlocking Credit & Land Value Through Digital Tools

Nilekani also addressed India’s financial ecosystem, stressing the need for firms to use their own data to access credit through the Account Aggregator Scheme.

“Currently, only 10% of personal loans in India use this system. If we scale it up, we can democratize financial services,” he explained.

Additionally, he noted that 50% of India’s wealth is tied up in land assets, which remain non-tradable and underutilized.

“Using technologies like tokenization and public blockchain, we can make land fungible—allowing people to sell or use it as collateral for credit,” Nilekani suggested, advocating for unlocking wealth and driving financial inclusion.

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🔹 The Need for Economic Formalization & Deregulation

While acknowledging India’s rapid infrastructure growth in roads, airports, ports, and telecom, Nilekani argued that the entrepreneurial spirit must extend beyond top cities.

He called for economic formalization and deregulation, stating:

“We have a long way to go in formalizing our people. We must simplify regulations, reduce compliances, and decriminalize business laws. Turbocharging formalization can help India sustain 6% growth and push it to 8%.”

He stressed that reducing bureaucratic red tape and making policies more accessible will foster greater participation in India’s economy.

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🔹 India’s Readiness for the Next Economic Leap

Nilekani concluded by stating that India has all the ingredients for rapid economic acceleration, particularly with strong digital infrastructure, fintech growth, and telecom expansion reaching even the remotest areas.

His vision for India’s economic future is clear:

“With the right policy interventions, AI-driven innovation, and financial democratization, India can not only sustain its current growth but accelerate towards 8% GDP expansion.”

The Raisina Dialogue 2025, organized by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, serves as a global platform to discuss key geopolitical and economic challenges.