NEW DELHI: Artificial intelligence (AI) could add nearly $550 billion to India’s economy by 2035 across key sectors such as agriculture, education, energy, healthcare and manufacturing, according to a PwC report.

The report, titled “AI Edge for Viksit Bharat,” prepared by PwC India, was presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2026. Based on economic modelling and real-world pilot projects, the study suggests that India could emerge as a global example of how emerging economies deploy AI at scale while embedding it into public systems and everyday economic activity.

According to the report, India’s AI strategy focuses not only on efficiency and economic growth but also on inclusion, governance, and institutional readiness. It emphasises building systems that allow AI to be widely adopted across public and private sectors while ensuring responsible deployment.

The study introduces a proprietary 3A2I framework — Access, Acceptance, Assimilation, Implementation, and Institutionalisation — as a roadmap for scaling AI. The framework highlights the need to ensure access to data, digital infrastructure, and skilled talent, while also building public trust to support widespread adoption. It also stresses integrating AI into real workflows rather than limiting it to pilot projects before moving toward large-scale implementation and long-term institutionalisation.

Pilot projects cited in the report show double-digit efficiency gains in agriculture through AI-based crop advisories, while healthcare initiatives using AI have improved disease detection and monitoring.

The report states that large-scale AI adoption could help India achieve operational efficiency, sustainability, stronger governance, resilience, and improved financial discipline across sectors.

Meanwhile, Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, highlighted AI-driven initiatives such as the MAITRI platform for industrial investments, which uses automation and data-based systems to improve the ease of doing business.

The report also notes that AI-powered smart metering systems in the energy sector are helping identify electricity theft with high accuracy, while AI-enabled tuberculosis detection tools in healthcare have improved case notifications and strengthened disease surveillance.

Sanjeev Krishan, Chairperson of PwC India, said AI offers India the opportunity to “reimagine growth beyond traditional GDP metrics” by aligning technological innovation with a people-first development approach.