India's AI Push Leaves Web3 in the Shadows
India's ambitious plan to train one crore youth in AI within a year has raised questions about whether Web3 will be left behind. The country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the target during his Independence Day address, linking technology skills with development strategy.
The IndiaAI Mission has a five-year outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore and has already onboarded over 38,000 high-end GPUs. However, there is no comparable one-crore blockchain or Web3 training target in the government's national workforce agenda.
India currently holds 15.2% of the global Web3 developer base, with over 1,200 startups and $626 million raised by founders in 2025. But despite this momentum, the country still lags behind in terms of domestic employment, startup formation, and locally built infrastructure for blockchain and crypto businesses.
Government-backed programs such as MeitY's TIDE 2.0 scheme support startups using emerging technologies, including blockchain and AI. However, a Parliamentary Standing Committee report has stated that a broader framework for crypto assets would require further domestic and international policy coordination.