When TIME magazine unveiled its prestigious TIME100 AI 2025 list, one name stood out for India—Abhishek Singh. A 1995-batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre, Singh has dedicated three decades to public service. Today, he finds himself at the centre of India’s boldest technological push: leading as the Director General of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and CEO of IndiaAI Mission. His inclusion in TIME’s global list is not just an honour for him personally but also a reflection of India’s determination to be counted among the world’s AI leaders.

Steering the IndiaAI Mission

The IndiaAI Mission, cleared by the Union Cabinet in March 2024 with an outlay of more than $1.2 billion, is one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the Indian government. Under Singh’s stewardship, the mission aims to build a world-class AI ecosystem by enhancing compute infrastructure, nurturing domestic AI startups, developing skilled talent, and ensuring that AI adoption remains ethical and inclusive.

The mission has already backed more than 30 innovative AI applications across agriculture, healthcare, climate science, education, and governance. These projects address critical challenges such as early autism diagnosis, improving rural healthcare access, and predicting extreme climate events—demonstrating the mission’s commitment to solving real-world problems through technology.

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TIME Magazine’s Commendation

In its editorial note introducing Singh to the TIME100 AI 2025 list, TIME magazine applauded his visionary leadership and rapid execution of India’s AI agenda. “After 30 years in India’s civil service, Abhishek Singh finds himself in charge of what’s been dubbed the IndiaAI Mission – a seven-pillar strategy to bring the country to the technological frontier,” the magazine wrote.

The publication also highlighted Singh’s efforts to democratise access to AI services, particularly for rural India. His goal is to enable citizens—even those without internet access—to benefit from AI-enabled governance using simple voice technology. Illustrating this vision, Singh mentioned, “A farmer should be able to call a toll-free number and ask, ‘What should I do for my crop?’”

Building a Scalable AI Ecosystem

Beyond policy design, Singh has been instrumental in forging strategic partnerships to accelerate the mission’s implementation. He has secured 35,000 GPUs for affordable rental through industry collaborations, ensuring access to critical compute power. He has also worked closely with philanthropic organisations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wadhwani Foundation, enabling the mission to expand its talent base and strengthen its operational capacity.

The magazine also noted Singh’s ability to navigate bureaucratic challenges by building coalitions between government, industry, and non-profit organisations. With strong financial backing from the government and his agile leadership, Singh has driven the mission at what he himself describes as an “unprecedented pace” in his three decades of public service.

During his address at the AI Bharat Expo held in March 2025, Singh called upon Indian entrepreneurs to build a voice-enabled Large Language Model (LLM) for social good, leveraging available APIs through the Bhashini project. Singh emphasised, “AI has to work for social good, for improving lives and solving societal problems. My ask to all entrepreneurs is to build a voice-enabled LLM that can empower citizens. Imagine a farmer or a mother receiving instant, accurate advice in their native language through simple voice commands.” He highlighted that the majority of necessary APIs are now accessible via the Bhashini initiative, making this vision achievable for innovative startups and technologists.

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Putting India at the Forefront of Global AI

The inclusion of Abhishek Singh in TIME’s list of 100 most influential people in AI for 2025 is more than a personal accolade—it reflects India’s rising prominence on the global AI stage. Singh’s leadership of the IndiaAI Mission underscores the country’s determination to not just adopt AI but to shape its future, making it accessible, inclusive, and impactful for millions of citizens.