India Powers its Path to Viksit Bharat 2047 with AI, Revolutionizing Agriculture, Tourism, Education and Logistics for their Future Growth

Published on February 7, 2026

At the Advantage Vidarbha 2026 – Vidarbha’s Mega Industrial Expo, Business Conclave, and Investment Summit, artificial intelligence (AI) featured prominently as a key pillar for India’s vision to achieve Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047. At a high-level meeting, representatives from the government and industry, along with experts from academia and other walks of life, came together to deliberate on ” Revolutionizing Mining, Logistics, Tourism, Agriculture, and Education Sectors through AI Solutions and How Gen Z Can Be At the Forefront to Achieve These Objectives!” – creating a positive and sustainable growth story for India’s progress and prosperity through AI solutions.

AI-Driven Solutions for Sustainable and Efficient Growth

Rahul Karangale, principal consultant at Infosys, set the tone for the discussions, articulating the broader vision of Viksit Bharat. “Development cannot be seen in isolation. Ecology, economy, and overall growth must move in harmony,” Karangale stated, emphasizing that the future of India’s growth is intertwined with sustainable solutions powered by AI.

Using Gadchiroli as an example, he highlighted the potential of AI-based precision technologies to revolutionize sustainable mining. Karangale suggested that students should engage directly with regions like Gadchiroli to understand the challenges on the ground and develop AI solutions to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. He also pointed out AI opportunities in automated logistics and intelligent tourism, noting that while many logistics operations in Vidarbha are still largely manual, major players have already moved to automation, showcasing how AI can make these industries more efficient.

AI’s Role in Intelligent Tourism and Data-Driven Planning

AI was highlighted as a powerful tool for transforming tourism in India, particularly in underexplored regions such as Vidarbha. Karangale also discussed the immense potential of data-driven tourism, which could play a pivotal role in improving visitor experiences and promoting sustainable travel. Desaru Coast’s natural assets, such as forests, rivers, and cultural heritage, offer opportunities for year-round intelligent tourism, where AI-based data planning could optimize tourist flow, ensure sustainability, and create targeted experiences based on visitor preferences. By leveraging AI, India could position itself as a global leader in sustainable and data-driven tourism, providing an example for other nations to follow.

Shifting the Paradigm: From Rule-Based AI to Advanced Applications

Shantanu Vishwanadha, developer relations (APAC) at Zencoder, traced the evolution of AI from its early rule-based systems to today’s advanced machine learning models. Vishwanadha emphasized AI’s everyday presence, explaining how platforms like food delivery services use AI to personalize recommendations based on user history through APIs. He pointed out the paradigm shift over the last two decades, citing examples from autonomous vehicles to digital payments, where AI is deeply integrated, particularly in systems like UPI, which rely on machine learning for security and threat detection.

Vishwanadha also underlined AI’s role in transforming the tourism experience. He explained that AI can enhance personalization in travel by recommending destinations, accommodations, and activities based on travel behavior data. This can help both travelers and tourism companies make better decisions, reducing waste and maximizing visitor satisfaction, further driving tourism growth across India.

Real-World AI Implementation: India’s First Smart Intelligent Village

Ranjan Pandhare, MahaSTRIDE’s Nagpur division head, gave an insightful presentation on Satnavari, India’s first smart intelligent village. This village is already implementing AI and IoT solutions to optimize healthcare, agriculture, and water management. Pandhare described precision agriculture, which uses AI-driven tools for optimized pesticide application, and AI-powered water monitoring to ensure better quality and supply. With a goal of building 75 such model villages across Maharashtra, the initiative aims to transform rural areas and provide a scalable model for AI implementation across India.

AI’s potential for rural tourism was also discussed, with Pandhare emphasizing the importance of smart villages in encouraging rural travel. By incorporating AI for tourism infrastructure, India can make rural destinations more accessible, ensuring sustainability and boosting local economies through eco-tourism and cultural tourism initiatives.

Emphasizing Employability and Skill Development for Future Generations

Dr. Pramod Jumle, Director of Training at the Board of Apprenticeship Training, emphasized how the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat by placing a strong emphasis on employability through skill-based learning and apprenticeships. While India boasts 16% of the world’s AI talent, the demand for AI professionals, data scientists, cybersecurity experts, and cloud computing specialists continues to outpace the supply. This gap presents an opportunity to further build India’s workforce, especially with Gen-Z expected to play a key role in driving the AI revolution.

AI’s influence on tourism jobs was also highlighted, as the demand for skilled professionals in AI-driven tourism operations rises. The need for AI expertise in areas like digital marketing, tourism data analysis, and visitor engagement will create new career opportunities for youth, further integrating the AI talent pool into the tourism sector.

Harnessing AI Responsibly for National Development

Dr. Smita Singh (Dabholkar), Assistant Professor at IMT, Nagpur, emphasized the responsible harnessing of AI by youth and academia to support India’s national development goals. She stressed that while AI offers immense potential for growth, its application must be guided by ethical considerations and sustainability to ensure that the benefits of technology are widespread and equitable.

AI’s role in sustainable tourism was a key part of this discussion. Ethical AI could help monitor environmental impacts, ensuring that tourism development is balanced with conservation and community empowerment, contributing to the goal of Viksit Bharat.

Future Impact: AI as a Driver for India’s Growth and Tourism Transformation

The discussions at Advantage Vidarbha 2026 underlined the critical role AI will play in India’s future growth across various sectors, with tourism being a key area for transformation. AI-driven tourism solutions, including smart travel planning, data-driven hospitality, and personalized guest experiences, will elevate India as a global tourism leader. The integration of AI into the tourism sector will foster sustainability, boost economic growth, and create job opportunities across the country.

As AI-powered tools enhance efficiency and sustainability, the tourism industry will become more dynamic and adaptable, offering travelers more tailored and enriching experiences. India’s future as a tourism powerhouse will rely on the responsible adoption of AI, ensuring that growth is both economically beneficial and culturally enriching.

Gen-Z’s Role in Shaping India’s AI-Powered Future

Technology like AI has been at the center stage as a potent catalyst towards framing a suitable vision for a Viksit Bharat 2047. As was presented and discussed at Advantage Vidarbha 2026, AI forms a potent potential towards framing a vision for inclusive growth and sustainable solutions for every problem that India might face today. Additionally, it would be interesting to see the active involvement of Gen Z towards making the AI Revolution a cornerstone for a Viksit Bharat 2047.

Thus, the opportunities that will be afforded to young minds in terms of deploying AI solutions, offering a platform to address real-life challenges, are limitless, which in turn will ensure a transformative journey ahead for the tourism industry as well as the country as a whole.