Making India a Knowledge Society in the Age of AI - Building India's Cognitive Infrastructure for Vikasit Bharat @2047

Abstract: This paper draws attention to the urgent need of building Cognitive Infrastructure along with the physical infrastructure for rapid development of the country. India is rapidly transitioning from developing economy to a developed economy unleashing many forces of rapid development and growth. The quest for Vikasit Bharat @2047 (India as a developed country) requires building the foundational cognitive-intellectual infrastructure and not just physical infrastructure. The development of the human capital with higher cognitive abilities capable to create, add and transact value through knowledge creation and utilisation. Continual innovation is critical for sustainable growth and development. Innovation is a direct outcome of the quality of the cognitive infrastructure. Nations compete on the strength of their cognitive infrastructure and not just on the availability of natural resources. Cognitive infrastructure is the most critical factor of production. To build a high-quality competitive cognitive infrastructure we need new ways of acquiring and utilising knowledge. Without cognitive abilities people cannot become knowledge workers to lead the cognitive shift happening all over the world in this age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The race is now cognitive in nature and those nations with robust cognitive and physical infrastructure will be the leaders. India has to focus on developing the cognitive capital of the aspiring youth equipping the with cognitive abilities to respond to what is coming. The uncertainties caused by technological disruptions and geopolitical shifts are overwhelming. True security comes from building an ever-expanding and renewed cognitive infrastructure which is free from the laws of diminishing returns. This paper explores the need to take a fresh perspective of the emerging realities such as the shift from computing to cognitive, and recommends building futuristic cognitive infrastructure along with the physical infrastructure for realising the goal of Vikasit Bharat @2047. One core concern highlighted is the linguistic development as human development is fundamentally the cultivation of cognitive capacity—and language is one of the most powerful instruments for that cultivation.