Empowering Access, Driving Development & Leading Dialogue in AI - Special 50th Edition

The AI4India Weekly #50

Apr 30, 2025

In this milestone 50th edition of the AI4India Weekly, we spotlight a transformative moment in India’s AI journey—one that bridges deep-tech innovation with inclusive development. From the launch of D2M-enabled laptops for education—powered by Tejas Networks and Intel—to recalling AI4India’s impactful presence at the Paris AI Action Summit, this edition highlights how India is shaping the global conversation on responsible AI and public data infrastructure. With #DataDaan gaining international traction, and forum members sharing their stories on why they’ve joined the movement, this edition reaffirms the growing community behind people-first, equitable AI. As we look ahead to a Viksit Bharat by 2047, one thing is clear: the future of education, innovation, and inclusion is being built here—and now.

AI for India: D2M Laptops Paving the Way for Viksit Bharat

By Shashi Shekhar Vempati

Tejas Networks and Intel team up to bring Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) capability to Laptops ushering in new possibilities for Universal Education

Ahead of the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, Tejas Networks and Intel today announced the successful integration of Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) capability in Intel-powered laptops enabling delivery of educational content to students across India leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI).

D2M is a broadcasting technology developed as part of an ongoing proof-of-concept at IIT Kanpur. It uses terrestrial TV broadcast airwaves to deliver live TV, Video, Audio and text messages (multimedia content) of public and national importance such as entertainment, sports, educational programming and emergency alerts directly to mobile phones and compute devices without the need for Wi-Fi or internet service.

Universal access to education is a critical prerequisite for achieving Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

By integrating D2M into Intel’s personal computing (PC) platform, Tejas Networks and Intel have laid the foundation for a fully integrated compute device that is ready to deliver education without connectivity barriers in a cost-effective manner. This collaboration between Intel and Tejas Networks is a testament to ‘Design in India’ and ‘Make in India’ efforts. The innovative laptop design is powered by Intel processor and an embedded antenna coupled with Tejas - SaankhyaSL-3000 SDR chipset for enabling D2M services. Tejas Networks has also developed a suite of infrastructure hardware and software products for D2M network deployment. The end-to-end indigenously developed technology powered by SL-3000 SDR chipset has been under test in live networks by Prasar Bharati in partnership with IIT Kanpur and Tejas Networks over the last few years.

Parag Naik, Executive Vice President, Tejas Networks, said, “With the integration of D2M chipsets into Intel-powered laptops, we are unleashing a revolutionary leap in educational content delivery. Leveraging the multicast architecture of ATSC 3.0, D2M platform allows simultaneous transmission of diverse educational content—each tailored for different grades, school boards, or languages—directly to students, even in connectivity-underserved geographies. The award-winning SDR chipset for D2M is powered by an Indigenous multi-core DSP architecture that has gone through 2 generations of field hardening.

D2M is a scalable, cost-effective, and resilient system that ensures inclusive, high-quality learning, no matter where the learner is situated and will catalyze the country’s emergence as a knowledge powerhouse in the coming years.”

Gokul Subramaniam, President Intel India and Vice President, Client Computing Group, said, “Intel continues to innovate with the ecosystem to bring unique computing experiences to the users and enable them to perform tasks that can transform their lives. D2M technology, as part of our collaborative effort with Tejas Networks, opens a range of new possibilities to deliver content through personal computing and edge devices. We believe the possibilities with this capability in a PC are far reaching for education in India and globally.”

Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Chairperson of UGC Committee on Educational Media Reforms said, “In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047, the integration of D2M broadcasting technology with AI-capable edge computing can lead to a full-stack (chips to platform) deep-tech public goods infrastructure purpose-built to deliver high quality educational content to India’s youth. This initiative also aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision of equitable and inclusive education by helping overcome digital access barriers for students nationwide”.

This integration of AI with D2M platforms can potentially enable multilingual learning experiences, bridging India's linguistic diversity. Coupled with the scalability and resilience of D2M networks, India is positioned to create a robust blended learning ecosystem — combining the depth of digital content with the reach of broadcast media. This moment also reflects a broader trend: India's emergence as a global leader in foundational technology development. The international dimension, with collaborations ATSC 3.0 standards, signal India's readiness to not just consume but co-create next-generation technologies with global partners. Looking ahead to 2047, realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a "Viksit Bharat," D2M-enabled devices, AI-driven personalization, and blended learning models will be the bedrock of an empowered, digitally inclusive India. Investing in this deeptech future now, has the potentisl to create a resilient, scalable, and equitable educational ecosystem — truly a "GPT to Educate Bharat."

AI4India at Paris: Taking the Data Daan Movement Global

Over the past year, AI4India has been at the forefront of India’s AI transformation—not just observing global shifts, but actively participating in them. Through initiatives like the #DataDaan portal, thought leadership on equitable AI governance, and active participation in international dialogues, AI4India has created a unique platform that bridges grassroots innovation with global policy.

This vision came to life on the world stage at the AI Action Summit 2025 in Paris, where India co-chaired discussions on the future of responsible AI. AI4India was more than a participant—it was a policy voice and platform builder, hosting a high-impact side event with the Centre for Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) titled “Data for Development: Building AI in the Global South.” The session brought together international experts and Indian leaders to champion the need for data sovereignty, public access to quality datasets, and ethical AI frameworks that reflect the realities of emerging economies.

The spotlight on #DataDaan—AI4India’s flagship initiative to promote open, anonymized, and publicly accessible datasets—was especially significant. As emphasized by co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati during the summit, open datasets are the foundation of inclusive AI development. The campaign’s presence at Paris underscored its relevance not just for India, but for the entire Global South.

The summit marked a watershed moment for AI4India—affirming its role as a key driver of people-first, development-focused AI. With the next global AI summit set to take place in India, AI4India’s growing momentum, particularly around #DataDaan, positions it to shape future frameworks where data is shared, not hoarded, and AI serves the many, not just the few.

#DataDaan - Donate for a Digital India

Aligned with the IndiaAI Mission and MeitY’s efforts to ensure the availability of AI-usable data, the #DataDaan campaign by AI4India is now live on DataDaan.org. This initiative invites individuals and organizations to contribute valuable datasets, enriching India’s AI ecosystem and driving innovation across sectors. The platform provides a streamlined process for data contribution, ensuring responsible and impactful AI development. Visit DataDaan.org to explore the initiative and be part of this transformative effort.

NOTE: The views expressed by the authors are their own. AI4India as a forum does not endorse any comments on specific brands, products, platforms or companies.

Join our AI4India.org forum to be a part of the AI revolution in India by visiting our site now.

THE AI4INDIA WEEKLY

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