General
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we live, work and interact. But Nandan Nilekani sees two sides to it. “Obviously, there is going to be a concentration of wealth and power with AI … we can’t fight that. Forces at play are much bigger than any of us. But in our zone of influence, we have to do what we can to create a different paradigm,” Nilekani said on Thursday evening, speaking at an Asia Society event.
He believes AI has the potential to transform lives. Not just for a few, but for a billion people.
“AI will be very well used in India but in a way that helps people’s lives, helps them to learn languages, get better healthcare, get better education,” he said.
Nilekani, who helped design Aadhaar and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), sees technology as a way to level the field if applied with intent and care.
General India shouldn’t join the AI spending race
Western countries and China are pouring billions into building ever-larger AI models. Nilekani thinks India should take a different route.
Rather than trying to outspend the rest of the world, he believes India should focus on using AI to fix things that matter on the ground — poor access to education, gaps in healthcare, and language barriers.
It’s a practical approach. And one that plays to India’s strengths.
Nilekani is known for backing scalable, simple technology that works within the country’s real-world constraints. Aadhaar and UPI are good examples. Both are built on minimal but powerful design principles.
General On universal basic income, a firm no
There’s been growing talk of universal basic income as AI threatens traditional jobs. Some argue the state should step in with regular cash transfers as machines take over human work.
Nilekani doesn’t buy that argument.
“I don’t agree with the vision that these guys are propounding… that is a dystopian idea,” he said, referring to the view that humans might one day just relax on beaches while AI does all the work and money flows into bank accounts.
He was clear about what AI should really do.
AI should be used to “amplify the human potential” and improve lives, he said.
Nilekani reiterated that he does not support UBI, even though it was once discussed seriously in India. The concept had appeared in the Economic Survey of 2017 under the then Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian, but never made it into policy.
General Innovation isn’t optional anymore
As India continues to scale its digital infrastructure, Nilekani believes the country has no choice but to keep innovating.
“The future is getting invented here in India,” he said. But once over a billion people start aiming higher, the pressure to keep delivering only grows.
“You have to innovate to keep ahead. Otherwise, you will have negative risk-to-rewards and revolutions and so on. So, I think, by force, we will have to innovate to solve the problems of a billion people,” Nilekani said.
It’s a reminder that building for India isn’t just about technology. It’s also about timing, scale and a deep understanding of people’s needs.
General Frugal tech that works for everyone
One of Nilekani’s key insights is that for technology to succeed in India, it must be frugal. It must work for people with limited purchasing power.
He pointed to UPI, which lets users send even Re 1 instantly at no cost — something unmatched in most parts of the world.
That’s not an accident. It’s by design.
“Design simplicity is the biggest lesson from the Aadhar project,” he said. He recalled that the original document for the UPI platform, created by Dilip Asbe and Pramod Verma, was just one page long.
This minimalist design approach made it scalable, accessible and powerful — traits that Nilekani believes must carry forward in future innovations.
As AI continues to evolve, Nilekani’s message is clear. India should focus not on chasing scale for the sake of it, but on using technology to serve people better.
From language access to better health and smarter education tools, the country has a chance to shape how AI is used — and who it benefits.
The challenge, as Nilekani sees it, isn’t just building clever tools. It’s building tools that matter.
(With inputs from PTI)