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AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 1 2 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development Expert Council Members
Ms. Arundhati Bhattacharya
Chairperson & CEO,
Salesforce India & South Asia
Mr. Venkat Padmanabhan
MD, Microsoft Research
India
Mr. Romal Shetty
CEO, Deloitte South Asia
Mr. Rizwan Koita
Chairperson, NABH |
Co-Founder, CitiusTech |
Co-Founder, Koita Foundation
Mr. Aditya Natraj
CEO, Piramal Foundation
Mr. Rahul Matthan
Partner, Trilegal
Ms. Sonia Pant
Programme Director, Skill
Development, Labour &
Employment, NITI Aayog
Mr. Ishtiyaque Ahmed
Programme Director,
Industry/MSME, NITI Aayog A
s India aspires towards the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, one
question stands before us: how do we ensure that this journey
of prosperity, equity, and innovation includes everyone? Much
of the global discourse around Artificial Intelligence has
focused on its effects on the formal economy. Yet, the
heartbeat of India lies in its 490 million informal workers—
the farmers, artisans, healthcare providers, and service
professionals who form the bedrock of our society and
economy. This roadmap is a pioneering effort to place their
stories, struggles, and aspirations at the very center of our
national conversation on technology.
In these pages, you will meet Bindu, Samar, Lata, Aman,
and Rekha—a healthcare worker, a carpenter, a weaver,
an electrician, and a farmer. Their lived realities remind
us that the true measure of technological progress is not
simply in productivity gains or economic growth, but in
its power to transform lives with dignity, opportunity, and hope.
For India, the challenge is not just to deploy AI—it is to make AI
matter in the lives of millions who have historically been on the
margins of formal development pathways.
The vision presented here is both ambitious and achievable. It
proposes a
National Mission: Digital ShramSetu—a technology-driven
bridge designed to empower informal workers with trust, access,
and skills in the digital age. By harnessing frontier technologies
such as AI, blockchain, and immersive learning, we can dismantle
systemic barriers and enable inclusion at a scale the world has
never witnessed. Our pioneering success with digital public
infrastructure—from Aadhaar to UPI—has shown the world what
India can achieve when innovation is combined with inclusivity. We
now stand at a similar inflexion point, with a once-in-a- generation
opportunity to reimagine the future of work for every Indian.
This is not a task for one institution or sector alone. It calls for
purposeful collaboration between government, industry, civil
society, and academia. If we come together with intent, compassion,
and resolve, we will not only accelerate India’s development
trajectory but also ensure that our growth story is one that belongs
to all—resilient, inclusive, and equitable.
It is my privilege to introduce this roadmap. May it serve as a call
to action, an inspiration, and most importantly, a reminder that
the promise of Viksit Bharat 2047 will be fulfilled only when every
worker, formal or informal, stands not just as a beneficiary of
progress, but as its catalyst.
Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam
CEO, NITI Aayog
Foreword A
cross the world, Artificial Intelligence is triggering debates
on automation, efficiency, and disruption. But here in India,
we are charting a different course—one where technology
is not a force of exclusion, but of extraordinary inclusion.
I think the biggest opportunity for AI and other frontier
technologies lies in their ability to revolutionise life for the
490 million informal workers who power India’s economic
engine. How do we put the world’s most advanced
technologies in the hands of the most overlooked, so
they can leapfrog constraints and claim their rightful
place in India’s growth story?
To answer this, we looked far beyond data sets and
algorithms. We immersed ourselves in the lived realities
of informal workers—a home healthcare aide in Rajkot, a
carpenter in Delhi, a farmer, and others —to understand
their challenges and dreams. These stories illuminate
the barriers that persist, but also reveal the immense potential
that the right technology, thoughtfully deployed, can unlock. For
these millions, technology must not replace, but amplify their skills,
aspirations, and livelihoods.
This roadmap envisions a 2035 where voice-first, AI-powered
interfaces shatter barriers of language and literacy, making digital
platforms universally accessible; where smart contracts guarantee
timely and transparent payments; where micro-credentials and
on-demand learning empower workers to upskill at the speed of
their ambition. But achieving this inclusive digital leap will require
more than optimism—it will demand concerted investments in R&D,
targeted skilling initiatives, and the nurturing of a robust, innovation-
driven ecosystem.
At the heart of this blueprint stands the national mission, ‘Digital
ShramSetu’, an urgent call to harness frontier technologies for the
upliftment of India’s informal sector at scale. This is a vision rooted
not just in technological possibility, but in moral necessity.
I am deeply grateful to the Expert Council for their invaluable
guidance and to Deloitte for being exemplary partners on this
journey. This roadmap is an attempt to shape a future in which
every Indian worker, irrespective of background or profession, is
empowered to be a full participant in our nation’s progress. I am
confident its insights will serve as a catalytic guide as we build a
truly inclusive and prosperous India.
Debjani Ghosh
Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog
Chief Architect, NITI Frontier Tech Hub
Foreword M
ost discussions and reports on Artificial Intelligence
(AI) focus on white-collar professionals and predict
an almost certain loss of jobs in the segment in the
absence of urgent interventions. Little attention, if any, is paid
to how AI can serve India’s 490 million informal workers
[1]
, the
very people who form the backbone of our economy.
This work aims to change that. It is centred on people - Bindu, a
36-year-old health care worker from Rajkot; Samar, a 38-year-
old carpenter from Delhi; Lata, a 40-year-old handloom
weaver from Lucknow; Aman, a 35-year-old electrician from
Patna; Rekha, a 42-year-old farmer from Odisha and millions
of others like them who power India’s vast informal workforce.
They are more than workers; they are the heart of India’s
economic engine and hold the key to a Viksit Bharat. The
true test of AI’s promise lies in its ability to transform their
lives and livelihoods.
As India approaches its centenary of independence in 2047,
the vision of Viksit Bharat charts a bold, inclusive pathway
to becoming a developed nation. At its core lies a critical
imperative: integrating India’s informal workforce, which
comprises roughly 90 percent of the labour force
[1]
and
contributes nearly half of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Despite their role in sectors such as construction, textiles, food
services, caregiving and handicrafts, these workers continue
to operate in low-productivity, insecure environments that are
largely excluded from formal systems, social protections and
opportunity pathways.
This roadmap highlights the role that AI and frontier
technologies can play in unlocking the potential of India’s
informal trade workforce and transforming them into catalysts
for Viksit Bharat, if deployed thoughtfully and inclusively.
Importantly, this is a living document, intended to continuously
evolve as new insights, technologies, and challenges emerge—
ensuring that interventions remain relevant, resilient, and
future-ready.
Drawing on ground-level insights and real worker profiles,
it identifies five core challenges, namely financial insecurity,
Executive Summary limited market access, lack of skilling, inadequate social
protection and low productivity, that continue to hold back
this segment from realising its full potential. The mentioned
challenges are rooted in four deeper systemic barriers: lack of
trust, poor access and usability of services, low awareness and
skills and outdated tools and processes.
The roadmap discusses how frontier technologies such as
Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain, robotics
and immersive learning can be harnessed to break systemic
barriers faced by India’s informal workforce. It is premised on
the evolution of a more accessible, affordable and resilient
technology infrastructure capable of supporting scale and
inclusion. This roadmap envisions a future where, by 2035, India
leads in deploying these technologies to enable transformative
solutions: modular and demand-driven skilling smart contracts
linked to verified work outcomes and real-time access to jobs,
markets and entitlements designed with the realities of the
informal sector at the core.
To realise this vision, the roadmap proposes a national
mission called Digital ShramSetu to drive the adoption of
frontier technologies across India’s informal workforce. It
outlines a targeted strategy focused on persona or sector-
led prioritisation, state-driven implementation, regulatory
enablement and strategic partnerships to ensure affordability
and scale. The mission will mobilise stakeholders across
government, industry and civil society and will be guided by a
robust, multi-level impact evaluation framework.
However, to make this mission a reality, we need to act now!
India’s past successes with digital public infrastructure such
as Aadhaar, UPI and Jan Dhan demonstrate our ability to
build inclusive, at-scale platforms that change lives. With a
strong digital backbone, a young workforce and the untapped
potential of the informal sector, India has a once-in-a-
generation opportunity. Delayed action would mean leaving
millions behind and weakening our development trajectory.
However, if we act boldly and with intent, we can place India’s
informal workers at the centre of our growth story and in doing
so, secure the foundations of a truly Viksit Bharat. 8 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development Index
1. VIKSIT BHARAT 2047: EMPOWERING THE INFORMAL WORKFORCE
IS THE FOUNDATION OF A TRULY DEVELOPED INDIA
1
2. UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT CHALLENGES FACED BY THE
INFORMAL TRADE WORKFORCE
4
3. VISION 2035: TRANSFORMING INFORMAL LIVELIHOODS
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
8
4. BRIDGING THE GAP: KEY ASSUMPTIONS AND ACTIONABLE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUCCESS
18
5. THE HIGH COST OF DELAY: WHY INDIA MUST ACT NOW! 20
6. PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION: MISSION DIGITAL SHRAMSETU 21
REFERENCES 28
APPENDICES 29 1 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
1. VIKSIT BHARAT 2047: EMPOWERING THE INFORMAL WORKFORCE IS
THE FOUNDATION OF A TRULY DEVELOPED INDIA
India’s centenary of independence in 2047 is more than a symbolic milestone. It is a strategic inflection
point. The Government of India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision outlines an ambitious transformation:
a US$30 trillion economy, a US$18,226 per capita income
[2]
and a society characterised by
prosperity, equity, innovation and sustainability. This ambitious goal builds on seven decades of
national progress, further reinforced now by transformative initiatives such as Digital India, Make
in India, Swachh Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat. These reforms have accelerated innovation and
laid a strong foundation for digital empowerment and self-reliance, positioning India as the fourth-
largest economy
[3]
in the world. However, realising the vision demands addressing a fundamental
challenge: integrating India’s vast informal trade workforce of approximately 490 million
[1]
which
remains largely excluded from the country’s core economic gains.
Informal trade workers are individuals engaged in economic activities outside formal
employment systems, without written contracts, job security or social protection.
They include skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers such as carpenters, drivers,
agricultural labourers and helpers, who often work in informal, self-employed or
subcontracted arrangements across sectors.
Today, around 90 percent of India’s labour force operates in the informal sector,
[1]
powering essential
industries such as construction, agriculture, logistics, retail and artisanal manufacturing. Yet, despite
their vital contribution to the economy, trade workers’ productivity, measured as per capita income
per hour, remains around US$5 per hour, almost half of the overall average of US$11 per hour,
[4]
reflecting persistent gaps in access to tools, training and support systems.
Trapped in low-wage, low-productivity roles without job security, structured training or social
protection, these workers cannot contribute optimally or realise their full potential. Women’s
participation in the workforce sits at 37 percent,
[5]
compared with a global average of 47 percent,

[6]
further eroding overall productivity and economic resilience. Many workers, shoulder unpaid
caregiving and domestic responsibilities, such as elder care, household management, children’s
education. This invisible labour, though central to the social and economic fabric, remains
unrecognised in productivity metrics and limits time for paid employment or skill development.
This roadmap calls out the urgent imperative to reverse the trend of marginalisation and accelerate
the role of AI in integrating the informal trade workforce into India’s long-term development
agenda. The year 2047 represents the ultimate point of arrival for a high-income India where
every worker, regardless of background or sector, has access to formal employment pathways,
comprehensive social protection and tools that enhance income levels, improve productivity and
elevate the quality of life. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 2
Key national outcomes envisioned for 2047 include the following:
Raisingper-capitaincome
to US$18,226,driving
nominalGDP toUS$30
trillionandcementing
India’shigh-income
status.
[7]
Formalising 73.2percentof
erstwhileinformal
enterprises
[9]
, reducingthe
informalsector’sshare to40
percent throughuniversal
digitalregistration,
streamlined compliance and
accessiblecredit.
Elevatingfemalelabour-
force participationtoover
70 percent,reﬂecting
sustained investmentsin
gender-focused education,
vocationaltraining and
workplacereforms.
[8]
Securingapositionamong
thetop 10nationsonthe
GlobalGender GapIndex
[10]
,
demonstrating world-class
achievementsin closing
economicandsocialgender
disparities.
Achievinguniversalsocial-
security coveragefor
workers,guaranteeing
comprehensivebeneﬁts
that includedpensions,
healthinsuranceandpaid
leaveforevery
employee.
[19]
However, national averages often mask the experience of India’s informal trade workforce. Our
deep dive into this segment reveals a steeper climb and higher potential.
Figure 1: Target benchmarks for India’s informal trade workforce by 2035 and 2047
$0
$4,000
$8,000
$12,000
$16,000
Per Capita Income (BAU Growth)
Per Capita Income (Aggressive Growth)
$1.8 K
$5.5 K
$14.5 K
$6.2 K
$3.2 K
1A. Per Capita Income
~ $8.3K
deficit by
2047
2025 2035 2047
US$5/hour
US$15/hour
US$49/hour
1B. Productivity
202520352047
Currently the Productivity (by GDP per hour) for informal worker is approximately US$5 per hour,
[13]
[22][23]
corresponding to an annual per capita income of around US$1,800.
[11][21]
To achieve the
targeted per capita income of approximately US$14,500 by 2047, a substantially higher growth
rate will be required. Investing in frontier technologies will enable India to significantly enhance
productivity and earnings, supporting progress towards its ambitious target.
With female participation still at a modest 15 percent (excluding agriculture)
[12]
and 48 percent
social protection coverage,
[18]
the informal trade sector faces deep inclusion gaps and narrowing
these disparities by 2047 will require gender-responsive skilling, inclusive infrastructure and tech-
enabled delivery of universal social benefits. 3 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Women Participation
15%25%42%
202520352047
48%
80%
100%
2025
2035
2047
Coverage of Social Security Benefits
The transformation of India’s informal economy hinges on the strategic use of frontier technologies,
with AI at the forefront. Under #AIforAll, AI is viewed as a tool for innovation as well as the foundation
for inclusive growth. By embedding intelligent systems across sectors ranging from labour markets
and financial services to healthcare, skilling and social protection, India can integrate informal
trade workers into the mainstream of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ensuring that technology
becomes a driver for opportunity, not displacement.
This roadmap discusses a potential blueprint for leveraging AI and frontier tech to boost
productivity, raise incomes and bridge the gap between high-growth sectors and labour-intensive
trades. Empowering the informal workforce is central to India’s competitiveness, resilience and the
inclusive vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
1C. Social security coverage1D. Female labour force participation AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 4
2. UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT CHALLENGES FACED BY THE
INFORMAL TRADE WORKFORCE
India’s informal sector contributes around 45 percent of the GDP
[13]
, playing a critical role in
the economy. This informality spans multiple sectors of the economy, as shown in the sectoral
distribution and corresponding worker profiles in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Distribution of India’s informal trade workforce by sector and corresponding work profiles
Agriculture and allied
activities
46-48%
Cultivators, Agricultural laborers,
Livestock handlers, Horticulture
workers
Construction and
infrastructure
15-17%
Construction workers, Painters,
Masons, Heavy equipment
operators, Fabricators/Welders,
Carpenters, Electricians,
Plumbers
Civic, domestic and
healthcare services
8-10%
Domestic workers, ASHA
workers, Sanitation workers,
Nurses, Lab technicians, Home
healthcare aides
Retail and food services
6-8%
Kirana store owners,
Super/Hyper Mart workers,
Waiters, Street food vendors,
Dhaba workers
Manufacturing and
industrial activities
4-6%
Manufacturing workers,
Machine operators, Packaging
workers, Miners
Artisans
2-4%
Diamond cutters, Potters,
Blacksmiths, Handloom weavers,
Leather workers, Stone carvers,
Tailors, Toolkit makers,
Goldsmiths, Cobblers, Coir
weavers, Doll and Toy makers,
Barbers, Armourers, Fishing net
makers, Locksmiths
Logistics and transportation
3-5%
Delivery drivers, Heavy vehicle
drivers, Cab/Commercial drivers,
Autorickshaw drivers
Others
7-10%
Unorganisededucators, Textile
workers, Tour guides,
Aquaculture workers, Repair
technicians, Port workers,
Laundry workers, Seafood
processing workers, Ceramic kiln
operators
Sources: PLFS Report(s), PIB, Deloitte Research and Modelling
Across these sectors, the informal economy is characterised by:
• Casual labour performed mostly through self-employment or small unregistered
enterprises
• Limited or no formal skilling and training
• Limited usage of technology
• Low or no health and social security coverage
While national schemes such as e-Shram, PM Vishwakarma, PM SVANidhi, Ayushman Bharat, National
Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) and National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) aims to address
these gaps, their impact has been uneven. Strengthening these schemes through technology-driven
integration and effective real-time, last-mile delivery is crucial. India has learnt important lessons
from the successful deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Using these learnings can
help unlock transformative opportunities to empower informal trade workers at scale.
To unleash this potential, we must understand the real challenges, needs and aspirations of the
informal trade workforce and design solutions that are inclusive, practical and future-ready for
Viksit Bharat 2047. 5 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
For this purpose, a persona-based approach has been adopted to reflect the fragmented reality of
the informal workforce and to highlight the varied challenges faced by different types of workers,
instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all perspective.
This approach involves creating research-backed profiles that capture key traits, behaviours and
needs of informal trade workers. Post extensive research across different sectors, from a universe
of approximately 490 million informal workers
[1]
about 55 worker profiles were developed (refer
Appendix A), out of which eight key personas, namely Cultivators, Textile workers, Artisans
(potters, blacksmith, coir weavers etc.), Unorganised educators, Home healthcare aides, Utility
trade workers (electricians, plumbers etc.), Kirana store workers and Tour guides were identified
for deeper analysis (refer Appendix B). The persona selection process was driven by four key
dimensions: population size, sectoral alignment, potential for impact and strategic relevance. In
addition, factors such as female workforce participation, potential for social impact, alignment
to emerging sectors, demographic relevance and niche occupations were considered to ensure
balanced and inclusive representation of the informal workforce (refer Appendix C and D). Finally,
8 personas were finalised based on the factors discussed in consultation with the Expert Council
(refer to Appendix E). These personas capture common patterns and the insights apply more
broadly across the informal trade workforce.
To ensure that the analysis reflects on-ground realities, a deep dive study of these eight informal
trade worker personas was conducted. Each persona was examined through a multi-dimensional
lens, covering work conditions, skill levels, access to finance and social protection, digital readiness
and systemic barriers (refer to Appendix B for detailed challenges by each persona). The analysis
was anchored in a mixed-methods approach that integrates rigorous secondary research with in-
depth primary field engagement. The resulting insights enabled the development of detailed pain-
point profiles for each worker group (refer to Appendix F for methodology and sources ). This
approach can further be scaled to various other worker profiles and sectors.
The findings reveal a diverse range of structural and operational challenges faced by the informal
sector, including income instability, exclusion from formal systems, weak social protection,
workflow inefficiencies and limited access to skilling. These recurring issues across worker groups
were distilled into five core themes that anchor this study: financial fragility & volatility, market access
& demand linkages, skilling & adoption, social protection & occupational safety and productivity
gaps (refer to Figure 3). Together, they represent the key areas that frontier technologies must
address to enable large-scale inclusion. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 6
Figure 3: Thematic challenges faced by the informal trade workforce
Financialfragilityand
volatility
Workersfaceconstant
ﬁnancial instabilitydueto
irregularincomes, lackof
buﬀers andreliance on
informalcredit.
•Irregularwage/payment and delays:Absenceof
contractsandtrustedidentities leads to wage
delays and disputes.
Market access and
demand linkages
Mosttradeworkersoperate
onthemarginsofthemarket,
withlimited accesstosteady
demand,secure contractsor
digitalplatforms.
•Limited access to sustained livelihood streams:
Fragmented job access, lack of veriﬁed identities
and no visibility into future demand leads to
chronic income instability & underemployment.
•Lack of adequate demand connections for
migrant workers: Without portable IDs or job -
matching systems, migrants rely on mediators and
face exploitation.
•Limitedaccessandtrust inmarketplace:Low
trust,poorvisibility and non-inclusive platforms
limit workers’ access to consistent demand and
sustainable livelihoods
Skilling andadoption
Skillingecosystemsare
fragmented,non-
adaptiveandoften
disconnectedfrom real-
worldjobdemands.
•Skillobsolescenceandlimitedupskillingaccess:
Mostworkersrelyonoutdatedmethodsand
receivelittleornoformaltraining.Digital skilling
toolsarerarelylocalised,adaptiveorsuitedto
low-enddevicesmakingadoptiondiﬃcultand
outcomeslimited.
Socialprotection
andoccupational
safety
Theinformalworkforce
remains outsidetheambitof
institutional protection,
makingthemhighly
vulnerabletoshocks.
•Occupational health and safety risks: Absence of
safety standards, risk monitoring and protective
technologies exposes workers to constant health
hazards without recourse.
Productivitygaps
Productivityisstiﬂednotby
workereﬀort,butby
systemic ineﬃcienciesand
lackof access tomodern
toolsandtechnologies.
•Limited access to digital tools and ineﬃciencies
in manual workﬂows:Most informal workers rely
on minimal mechanisation, lack workﬂow
optimisation and have limited access to user-
friendly tools which results in high eﬀort, low
output and no performance visibility.
•Limitedaccesstocredit:Noveriﬁableincome
orcomplexloanproceduresexcludethemfrom
accessingtimelyﬁnanceforemergencies or
livelihoodinvestments
•Lackofaccesstosocialsecuritybeneﬁts:
Workersstruggletobeneﬁtfromsocial
schemesduetoalackofawareness,digital
barriersandnon-portablerecords. 7 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Looking deeper, these five challenge themes outlined are not isolated or incidental. They are
recurring and cross-cutting patterns observed across diverse sectors, revealing deeper structural
issues within India’s informal economy. While the analysis draws from eight representative personas,
their challenges were abstracted into foundational systemic barriers, ensuring that the insights and
solutions derived are applicable more broadly across the informal trade workforce.
Through a synthesis of field insights, persona-based diagnostics, secondary research and expert
interviews, four systemic barriers emerged as the underlying causes of these challenges: trust deficit,
systemic access & usability gaps, knowledge & capability gaps and structural inefficiencies in
work processes & tooling deficit (shown in Figure 4). The figure illustrates how the challenges are
shaped by a web of interconnected and systemic barriers, each contributing in unique ways.
Figure 4: Systemic barriers and underlying challenges faced by the informal trade workforce
Trust deﬁcit: Absence of
veriﬁable identities, contracts and
work histories erodes trust,
limiting access to secure jobs and
ﬁnancial services
Unveriﬁable
employment records
Lack of veriﬁable
IDs/contracts
Financial
volatility
and
fragility
Social
protectionand
occupational
safety
Productivity
gaps
Market
access and
demand
linkages
Skilling
and
adoption
Lack of
veriﬁable creds
Complex onboard-
ing in digital
marketplace
Limited knowledge
on branding or
marketing
Limited awareness of
in-demand skills or
market trends
Diﬃculty in
navigating digital
platforms
Low digital literacy,
linguistic challenges and
complex interfaces
Lack of awareness
on credit systems
Limited use of digital
platforms and tools
Limited awareness
on best practices
Outdated manual
processes
Complex enrollment
process and
fragmented portals
No real- time safety
monitoring systems
Systemic access and usability gaps:
Limited digital skills, language and
procedural barriers, and low
awareness of market trends hinder
access to tech-enabled services
Knowledge and capability gaps:
Inadequate skilling, outdated
information and missing worker
data hinder productivity,
adaptability and targeted support
Structural ineﬃciency and
tooling deﬁcit: Dependence on
manual labor and lack of modern
tools reduce eﬃciency and
increase worker strain AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 8
3. VISION 2035: TRANSFORMING INFORMAL LIVELIHOODS THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY
By 2035, AI and other frontier technologies should meaningfully transform India’s informal trade workforce
into a more inclusive and productive ecosystem. This shift will be enabled by foundational drivers such as
affordable smartphones, pervasive connectivity, regional language AI, low-cost hardware and a mature,
secure digital infrastructure for trusted transactions, as illustrated below (refer to Figure 5).
Figure 5: Illustrative technology shifts envisioned for 2035
01 02 03
04 05 06
The cost of running AI systems at the level of GPT-3.5
dropped by over 280-fold between Nov 2022 and Oct
2024
26
, a trend expected to continue amid intensifying
innovation and competition.
Computing costs are reducing and will continue to
significantly reduce
Driven by advances in electronics and Make in India
push, hardware costs have been declining at an
average rate of 30 percent per year, while energy
efficiency has improved by 40percent annually
27
.
Advanced electronics, Make in India will lower
hardware or operating costs
By 2030, over 740 million Indians are expected to have
5G access, including rural areas
28
. This will lay the
foundation for deploying technology-backed solutions at
scale across the country.
5G adoption will be widespread across urban
and rural India
While Indic Large Language Models (LLMs) are expected
to cover all scheduled language by 2026
29
, demand for
edge-ready, multilingual AI will drive the growth in Small
Language Models (SLMs), enabling affordable, on-device
applications for localisedsolutions.
Language models in local dialects will be
readily available
Powered by entry-level new generation chipsets
30
,
affordable smartphones with AI features that can
support voice, text and image-based interactions,
making multilingual and multimodal interfaces
accessible to millions of users.
Low-cost smartphones will be available with
multimodal capabilities
Fueled by government initiatives like the Vishvasya
Stack and the National Blockchain Framework, India’s
DLT market is set to grow at 65 percent CAGR, reaching
US$61.5B by 2033
31
. This push will drive adoption across
key areas like identity, governance and supply chain.
DLT infrastructure will be strengthened
Over the next decade, these enablers, coupled with frontier technologies and mature digital public
infrastructure will help overcome today’s challenges by strengthening trust, providing real-time guidance
and enabling adaptive service delivery. These advancements have the potential to transform livelihoods
at scale, but realising this future requires more than piecemeal solutions. The section below presents a few
technology-driven possibilities to mitigate current barriers by the year 2035.
The technologies illustrated below are expected to become viable at scale over the next decade.
This roadmap assumes that, through its recommendations, India will build the innovation ecosystem
needed to enable their inclusive and effective use by 2035.
A. Trust deficit across the informal economy
Bindu, a 36-year-old home health aide from Rajkot, has years of experience
and basic certification but no formal proof of her work. She finds jobs
through word-of-mouth and private messaging app, exposing her to unsafe
conditions and delayed payments due to the lack of contracts or recourse.
Without a digital work record or consistent identity across platforms such as
Aadhaar, UDYAM and e-Shram, she is excluded from better jobs and credit,
making her effectively invisible in the formal digital economy.
As opposed to today’s fragmented and scarce trust landscape, the future informal economy will
be anchored in a unified trust infrastructure ensuring every informal trade worker, such as Bindu,
is digitally visible, verifiable and economically credible. Verified identities and credentials anchored
in secure, interoperable systems enable employers to confidently engage workers, while smart
contracts and transparent records protect workers from delayed payments and exploitation.
Government agencies seamlessly authenticate beneficiaries, ensuring accurate and timely welfare
delivery. Trust is no longer a barrier, it is the backbone of a fair, inclusive and thriving informal
economy. 9 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Unified trust layer through verifiable digital credentials and digital wallets
By 2035, workers like Bindu should have their identity, work history and skills securely captured
and issued as digitally signed, tamper-proof Verifiable Credentials (VCs) by trusted entities.
Stored in her digital wallet, these portable credentials would form a unified trust layer which is
cryptographically secure, interoperable across platforms and instantly verifiable, enabling seamless
access to jobs, benefits and skilling opportunities.
Stored on digital
walletfor secure,
on-demand access
Credential Issuer Verifiable Credentials
Bindu can selectively share her credentials with
requesting entities when applying for loan, job or
subsidy
VC examples:
Geriaticcare certificate,
address proof, UDYAM
registration, salary slips etc.
These credentials are
cryptographically verified
by the receiving entities
Training
institutes
Past
employer
Government
Skill
certificates
Work
history
Digital
identity
Buildingontoday’sKYC,theseinteroperablecredentialsgiveuserslikeBinduatamperproof,consentdriven
trustlayer,enablingfasterserviceaccess,accurateassessments,andbroaderfinancialinclusion.
Smart contracts for milestones-based payments
Workers should be able to have their service agreements and payment terms embedded in
smart contracts i.e. self-executing digital agreements recorded on centralized or distributed
ledgers. These contracts would automatically trigger payouts upon milestone completion,
ensuring timely, transparent and dispute-free transactions.
Smartcontractsensurefair,timelypaymentswithouttheneedforrepeatedfollow-ups,creatinga
moretransparentandreliableworkenvironmentforbothworkersandclients.
on completion
of first week
of service
Bindu and her employer enter a smart contract which has information on
payment milestones, criteria of success, payment methods.
Automatic wage disbursal on verification of
milestone completion
Pre-Defined Payment Milestones
On job completion,
her employer
issues a VC for
verified history of
her work
Verified
credential
Verified using geotagged locations,
caregiver notes, client attestations etc.
Employer
ex. Clinic
Bindu
Smart
contract
30%
on mid-care
review
on completion
of entire
service
Auto-disbursed
wages build a credit
history, making it
easier for her to
access loans
Digital payment
history
30% 40% AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 10
B. Systemic access and usability gaps
Samar, a 38-year-old self-employed carpenter from Delhi, owns a basic
smartphone but struggles to use government digital platforms. These portals
are text-heavy, require Aadhaar-linked numbers, complex forms and rarely
support his local dialect. With limited reading skills, even private messaging
app helplines are unusable. The nearest Common Service Centre is hours
away and visiting means losing a day’s income—an unaffordable cost. For
Samar and millions like him, digital access exists but remains out of reach..
In contrast to the present-day reality, where digital public infrastructure remains underutilised
due to barriers such as low digital literacy, limited regional language support and complex
interfaces, the future is radically more inclusive. By the next decade, platforms such as
e-Shram, UDYAM Assist and Skill India Digital will be powered by AI-driven, multilingual
and voice-first interfaces that adapt to users’ literacy levels and contexts. For informal trade
workers like Samar, accessing government services, upgrading skills or registering for work
will then be as simple as speaking in their native language, paving the way for a new era of
truly accessible digital empowerment.
Context-aware smart interfaces and voice powered AI-assistants
By 2035, informal trade workers like Samar should be able to engage with context-aware
smart interfaces i.e. intelligent interfaces that adapt in real-time to their literacy, language
and digital comfort for seamless, personalised interaction. These interfaces offer step-by-
step guidance and auto-fill forms with secure, verified data. Multilingual AI assistants fluent
in local dialects guide them through government schemes, loan applications, etc., using
natural speech.
Samarwillnolongerfaceagenericdashboard,butatailoredexperienceinhislocallanguage,deliveredthroughvoice
andvisualcues.ContextualinterfacesandAIassistantssimplifycomplexsystems,removebarrierslikepaperwork
anddigitalliteracy,andofferreal-timesupport,empoweringhimtonavigateopportunitieswithconfidence.
Samar accesses contextual interfaces on platforms
such as his phone, community kiosk, web browser,
AR glasses, wearable projectors etc.
Interface(s)
Powered by large
language models
trained in local
dialect
Samar
AI model
Pre-filled application
Verified
credentials
Data extracted from Verified Credentials/trusted sources
basis user’s consent
Aadhar,
DigiLockeretc.
Voice-powered AI assistant
Government
schemes
Explains schemes, answers queries, live translates texts
Loan
application
Multimodal smart interface
Icons
Simplifies
navigation
Translates text to:
Live audio 11 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development

C. Knowledge and capability gaps
By 2035, trade workers like Lata will have timely, task-specific access to relevant knowledge
and skilling through intelligent, on-demand systems. Instead of static, generic content
future platforms will deliver contextual guidance and skill-building resources directly aligned
with real workflows. With improved awareness and accessibility of schemes, workers will be
better equipped to adapt, upskill, access tools and grow their income, accelerating individual
progress and boosting sector-wide productivity.
AI knowledge graphs for loom-level problem solving
Traditional artisans like Lata should have access to a Generative AI-powered knowledge
system that synthesises domain-specific information such as loom blueprints, dye recipes,
buyer design trends and government schemes into a dynamic, navigable knowledge graph.
Accessible through a multimodal interface (voice, text, images and video), this system would
offer real-time, context-aware guidance, enhancing productivity, preserving heritage skills
and unlocking access to new markets and entitlements. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 12
Lata
WithanAI-poweredtextileknowledgeassistantLatadramaticallyreducesdowntimeandimprovesoutput
qualitywithoutrequiringformaltraining.
Lata asks her query in local dialect –
“Why do my threads break every 20
minutes?”
User interfaces:
Phone/ community kiosk/
AR glasses etc.
Receives a tailored explanation,
potential causes, and quick fixes, all in
her dialect.
Generative AI Knowledge System
Generative AI model
Understands queries in
natural language and
generates response in
local dialect
Knowledge graph
Search database for Lata’s
queries tailored to textile-
specific datasets
Immersive gesture-based environments
Lata should have access to immersive, hands-on training through Augmented Reality (AR)
and spatial computing, moving beyond passive YouTube-style videos and static e-learning
portals in next 10 to 15 years. Whether through a smartphone or a local community kiosk,
Lata could enter a virtual workshop to learn modern weaving techniques in real-time.
These contextual, interactive experiences would democratise high-quality skilling, making it
personalised, practice-oriented and accessible, regardless of literacy or location.
Latawearsspatial
computing deviceand
enters a virtual
workshopfor learning
modern weaving
patterns and finishing
techniques
Gestures
Lata interacts with a 3D weaving loom using simple
hand gestures and receives real-time feedbackin her
dialect on thread tension, hand positioning, and
posture, helping her improve the quality of her weave.
Thiskinesthetics,language-independentmodelismoreeffectiveforpracticaltradesandbridgesboth
knowledgeandaccessgaps.
AR and
spatial
computing
models
3D
modeling of
modern
techniques 13 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Adaptive learning systems
Adaptive learning systems should empower workers like Lata with personalised paths
tailored to her pace, learning style and regional context. AI tutors are making skilling more
intuitive and relevant.
AI tutors will make skilling more relevant and
motivating
Latawillnolongerbeforcedtonavigaterigid,one-size-fits-allcourses;instead,shewillreceivea
personalizedlearningjourneyinherregionallanguage,guidedbyvoice,visuals,andculturallyrelevant
examplesthatevolvewithherprogress.
Lata enters digital skilling
platform to learn trending
skills in weaving
She can access it on her low-
end phone, kiosk, web
browser, spatial computing
interfaces etc.
AI modelLata Interface
AI tutors will:
Track progress
Adjust
difficulty
Integrate local
knowledge
Createsskilling pathways tailored to Lata’s pace, learning
style, and regional context
Kenya bridging knowledge gaps with their agri-digital services platform
Kenya’s agri-digital services platform empowers over 1 million smallholder farmers with
personalised, real-time contextual guidance via voice and SMS in multiple local languages.
Using AI-driven insights, it overcomes literacy and access barriers, offering a scalable
model for bridging knowledge and capability gaps in informal economies.
[16]
D. Structural work inefficiency and tooling deficit
By 2035, informal trade workers like Aman will operate in safer environments with efficient
workflows and access to modern tools. Proper equipment, standardised processes and real-
time technical support will make daily tasks faster, less hazardous and more productive.
Frontier technologies, particularly AI and robotics, will fundamentally transform how they
work, enabling them to move beyond low-productivity, high-risk jobs towards more efficient,
dignified and future-ready livelihoods. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 14
AI-augmented visual diagnostics
AI-based diagnostic tools should allow workers like Aman to plan jobs before arriving on
site. When a client sends a short video or image of the electrical fault, Aman uploads it on
his cell phone and the AI model analyses it instantly to detect likely issues and recommends
the tools needed, while generating a custom checklist.
Aman uploads picture of electrical
fault received from client on his cell
phone
Aman
Sends data to AI
model
AI model performs
on-edge computing
to analyze the
video/image or text
description to detect
likely issues such as
burnt fuse, faulty
terminal
Sends notification: Fault in
live, humid
distributionboard –Take
following gears:
Powered
Exoskeleton
MicrorobotsAR/VR aid
Sends tailored
checklist on tools
required based on
identified fault
Thisworkflowreducesguesswork,preventsunnecessarytripstohardwarestores,andensuresthatAman
arrivesreadytocompletethejobquicklyandprofessionally.Overtime,hecompletesmorejobsperday,
increaseshisearnings,andbuildstrustasareliable,tech-savvyserviceprovider.
Mini-robotics assistants for hazardous tasks
In risky or hard-to-reach environments, informal trade workers like Aman should be able
to deploy compact, smartphone-controlled robots equipped with cameras and sensors as
remote extensions of themselves. These robots could perform inspections and even assist
with simple repairs, enhancing safety, efficiency and reach.
TheseminirobotsenableAmantodetectfaultsandcarryoutfixeswithoutdirectphysicalexposure,
effectivelyextendinghiscapabilitieswhileensuringhissafety.Theresultisfasterturnaroundandincreased
readinessforcomplexassignmentsthatpreviouslyseemedoutofreach
When faced with a fault hidden
behind a live, humid
distributionboard, Aman no
longer must put himself at risk
Aman deploys microrobots
to perform inspection
Functions
Fault
detection
Flips
switches
Checks
connections
Manipulates
tools
Faultdetection data inputs
Thermal sensing
Visual sensing
Real-time data through: 15 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Rekha, a 42-year-old farmer in Odisha, faces tooling gap firsthand. Her
work is physically demanding and repetitive, with no access to affordable
automation or precision tools. As a result, her yields remain low, input costs
high and fatigue is constant. Though aware of modern tools, she is excluded
by high costs, limited local advice and a lack of affordable, worker-friendly
automation, trapping her in low-productivity, high-effort farming.
Smart wearable safety gear
Smart wearable safety gear should assist workers like Aman in performing their job more
effectively by providing a tech-enhanced experience. It reduces physical strain, performs
real-time monitoring and gives alerts of potential hazards, ensuring both safety and
compliance.
Reduces physical
strain when climbing,
lifting, prolonged
awkward postures
Alerts through
Vibration
In emergency situations
Voice-activated SOS features connect
him to help instantly
Each incident is logged to help Aman
make better decisions over time
Detects
dangerous
situation
Aman
wears smart
safety gears
Smart safety gears
AI-enabled
helmet
Powered
exoskeleton
Monitor Aman’s
environment and
physical conditions
in real-time,
ex-tracking exposure
to voltage, ambient
temperature, and vital
signs.
Vest
embedded
with sensors
ThesegearsnotjustensureAman’ssafetybutalsohelpsignalprofessionalismtoclients,helpinghimsecurelargeror
institutionalcontractsthatrequirevisiblecompliancewithsafetynorms.
Safety functions
Sound Light
By 2035, smallholder farmers like Rekha will have access to affordable, context-specific
tools and support systems powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT)
and robotics. These technologies will reimagine how they cultivate and manage their fields
making farming practices safer, smarter and more sustainable. With enhanced capabilities
and improved productivity, farmers will be able to break free from cycles of low income and
exhaustion. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 16
AI & IoT enabled precision farming
A network of low-cost IoT sensors linked to AI systems should enable farmers like Rekha
to continuously monitor soil and climate, enabling real-time, hyperlocal decisions that
automate irrigation, optimise nutrients and pre-empt pest risks.
Alert Rekha on pests
or diseases based on
pattern detection
WithIoTandAIpoweredsystem,Rekhanolongerneedstorelyonguesswork,herinputsaretailoredtoherfield’s
needs
RekhaIoT sensors deployed
on Rekha’s farm
Linked to AI-based advisory system
Data inputs
IoT Sensors automate irrigation,
adjust nutrient application
Solar-powered wearable exoskeletons
Farmers like Rekha should be able to harvest their crops wearing a lightweight, solar-
powered exosuit which is a type of wearable exoskeleton that supports and enhances the
body’s natural movements, reducing strain on back and joints, allowing farmers to work
longer hours safely and with less fatigue.
These solar-charged suits significantly reduce physical strain, allowing farmers like Rekha to extend working hours
without injury, fatigue, or long-term musculoskeletal damage.
Leases the exoskeleton
suit to Rekha
The exoskeleton supports Rekha’s natural movements and redistributes
physical load, making repetitive tasks such as bending, harvesting, and
carrying loads significantly easier
Rekha uses the lightweight exoskeleton
for working on her farm
Local tech agrihub
Local cooperatives
Farmer producer
organisation(FPO) 17 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
AI-driven micro-robotics for field operations
Affordable, autonomous swarm robots, designed for small plots should be widely deployed
in fields like Rekha’s. These robots handle tasks such as sowing, weeding and precision
spraying with the help of AI models and computer vision.
Unlike large machinery, these robots are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and suitable for smallholder use cases,
enabling Rekha to spend less time on manual labor and more on decision making.
Rekha deploys swarm
robotsin her field
Guided by:
AI model trained on
local crop varieties
Computer vision
which helps robots
in navigating
irregular terrain,
detecting crop
health anomalies
Perform:
Sowing
Targeted
weeding
Precision
spraying
Swarm robots
deliver input
only where
needed AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 18
4. BRIDGING THE GAP: KEY ASSUMPTIONS AND ACTIONABLE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUCCESS
Assumptions
To enable large-scale transformation of the informal trade workforce by 2035, the following key
assumptions must be met in the next 10 to 15 years:
• Frontier technologies are affordable, localised and inclusive: Ongoing innovations will
drive down hardware costs in next 5 years by ~80 percent
[26]
, enabling cost-effective AI,
robotics and immersive tools that are language-adaptive, operable on low-end or offline
devices and accessible to informal trade workers through subsidies or shared models, on
rental basis or as public infrastructure.
• Digital access is universal and supported: Informal trade workers can access reliable internet,
affordable devices and in-person digital assistance through community infrastructure such
as Common Services Centres (CSCs), public Wi-Fi and digital help points such as kiosks.
• Ecosystems are interoperable by design: Public and private data, platforms and services
adhere to open standards, allowing seamless integration across employment, finance, skilling
and welfare systems.
• Regulatory systems support digital and AI integration: Legal frameworks evolve to
recognise digital work, enable smart contracts, regulate AI tools in work environments and
ensure worker protections, including safety and liability coverage.
Recommendations
Driving large-scale technology adoption across India’s informal trade workforce requires a centrally
anchored mission, Digital ShramSetu to ensure focused leadership and coordinated action across
a fragmented stakeholder ecosystem and clear accountability across institutions, implementers and
citizen-facing networks. It should have a formal charter outlining clear objectives, implementation
frameworks and measurable outcomes and be supported by a dedicated nodal body responsible
for defining metrics, tracking progress through dashboards and centralising reporting.
The below recommendations outline key strategic actions to operationalise the mission effectively:
• Enable a federated trust and credentialing ecosystem: Develop a federated trust model to
enable entities such as training providers, gig platforms, employers and government bodies
to issue verifiable work and skill credentials, with real-time updates through standardised
protocols. Extend IndiaStack with open-source trust and verifiability layers and promote
credential usage through tax and compliance incentives.
• Encourage innovation and incentivise adoption of frontier technology: Support startups
developing frontier technology-based solutions through grants, tax breaks, regulatory
sandboxes, Research & Development (R&D) incentives and public procurement pathways.
Pilot these solutions in high-mobility sectors and refine for scalability.
• Strengthen AI and digital infrastructure for inclusive access: Scale vernacular AI through
initiatives such as Bhashini and AI4Bharat to support local speech and dialects. Fund offline-
compatible, lightweight models trained on informal-sector data.
• Empower Private Sector ownership: Create sector-specific incentives for private sector
organisations to fund and build digital interventions. 19 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
• Digitise and standardise informal sector knowledge: Partner with industry bodies and
training institutes to digitise sector knowledge and integrate it into multilingual AI knowledge
graphs for different industries.
• Invest in affordable tools and local tech workforce: Promote local R&D and manufacturing
of affordable tools under the Make in India initiative, enable tech-rental models via Self Help
Groups (SHGs) and trade bodies and train district-level tech operators to drive adoption and
support in low-literacy contexts.
• Uphold data privacy, AI ethics and user protection: Implement worker-centric data
protections under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, release edge-compliant
platform guidelines and establish clear safety, insurance and liability norms for AI and robotic
tool usage. There is a need for organisational discourse and accountability mechanisms to
uphold workers’ rights and build trust in AI systems.
• Drive grassroots innovation and worker outreach: Incentivise states to launch mission-
mode programmes for informal trades, repurpose district infrastructure as digital workforce
hubs, enable co-funding by ULBs/ panchayats, strengthen partnerships with local institutions
for digital literacy and drive skill enhancement initiatives through targeted incentives.
To ensure transparency, accountability and continuous improvement, the mission must be
underpinned by a robust evaluation framework (refer to Figure 6), designed to systematically track
implementation progress, assess outcomes and inform adaptive policy responses.
Figure 6: Impact measurement framework
Worker-centric outcome metrics
(Assess improvements in the lives
and livelihoods of informal
workers)
Measured through periodic worker
surveys, third party impact audits,
platform transaction data, household
surveys, e-Shramlogs, UDYAM logs,
credit bureau data, PF/ESIC/GST data,
scheme MIS reports, partner NGO/SHG
implementation records
Workersupliftment
Tracks percentage increase in
monthly income, social security
benefits access, female
participation, transition to formal
systems (PF, tax schemes etc.)
1
On-ground technology adoption
Tracks percentage of unified
digital ID creation, smart contracts
utilization, VC adoption, frontier
tools usage, subsidies and benefits
accessed
2
Measurement
System transformation metrics
(Track structural shifts in how the
informal economy is integrated
into national systems)
Measured through API integration
logs, reports from DigiLocker, e-
Shram, UDYAM, etc., ministry
dashboards, implementation records
from central tech agencies, usage
analytics from platforms, program
MIS data and system reports
Platform interoperability
Tracks number of platforms or
schemes integrated via APIs,
percentage of data reused across
platforms
System availability
Tracks the percentage of time
digital platforms and services are
operational and accessible to
users without downtime
AI/ frontier tech tool deployment
Measures number of AI or frontier
tech powered tools, skilling
modules, assistive interfaces,
deployed across sectors and
regions
2
Measurement
Institutional and ecosystem
metrics
(Assess the effectiveness and
collaboration of organizations,
policies, and partnerships)
Measured through district level
progress reports from pilots, partner
NGOs implementation records, MoUs,
partnership records, grant funding
database, third- party evaluations,
and stakeholder surveys.
State performance scorecard
State-wise composite index
tracking pilot launched and scaled
by district, workers onboarded,
benefit access, tech integration
1
Innovation uptake
Measures the percentage of pilots
funded through challenges and
grants that successfully scale to
program-level implementation
3
Partnership ecosystem index
Measures MoUssigned with
startups, academia, NGOs, trade
associations, for developing,
scaling and adoption of solutions
2
Measurement
1
3
Having outlined recommendations to overcome systemic barriers, it is equally critical to strengthen
existing schemes while creating new ones, to avoid duplication, use established platforms and fast-
track adoption. (refer to Appendix G) AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 20
5. THE HIGH COST OF DELAY: WHY INDIA MUST ACT NOW!
India stands at a pivotal moment, poised for historic transformation if it acts decisively.
Foundational digital infrastructure such as Aadhaar, UPI, Jan Dhan and BharatNet, coupled with a
thriving tech ecosystem, has already touched millions of lives. With a young population, increasing
digital penetration and the untapped potential of the informal economy, the conditions are ripe for
inclusive growth.
However, at the current growth rate of 6.3 percent,
[20]
India’s GDP is projected to reach US$15.3
trillion by 2047 which is significantly below the aspirational US$30 trillion Viksit Bharat target.
[2]

At the current growth rate, average income for informal trade workers is projected to reach around
US$6,000. However, with accelerated growth of approximately 10 percent driven by transformative
efforts, the aspirational target of US$14,500 becomes attainable. Without timely and inclusive
action, millions risk being excluded from the digital economy, disconnected from platforms and left
behind in an increasingly tech-driven world.
Unlocking inclusive growth requires dismantling systemic barriers faced by informal trade
workers. These include a lack of trust between workers and employers, limited access to usable
technology, verifiable identity and timely information. This roadmap explores how frontier
technologies such as AI, robotics, secure digital ledgers, IoT and immersive platforms can rewire
every major touchpoint in an informal trade worker’s journey. From AI-enabled safety and adaptive
learning to secure, verifiable digital identities, smart contracts and robot-assisted tasks, these
innovations are designed to bridge capability and equity gaps in informal work.
India is uniquely positioned to lead this technology-enabled shift, backed by robust digital
infrastructure, a growing AI ecosystem and clear national intent. However, lasting change hinges on
placing informal trade workers at the centre not as challenges to be solved, but as co-creators of
an inclusive, resilient future.
The coming years represent a critical window. Decisions made today will determine whether
emerging technologies deepen existing inequalities or unlock a more equitable and resilient future
of work. India has the momentum, the means and the mandate to ensure its informal trade workers
are not left behind but instead, are front and centre in its development journey as skilled, dignified
and future ready. 21 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
6. PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION: MISSION DIGITAL SHRAMSETU
Vision
To transform India’s informal workforce into a formal, empowered and future-ready labour force
by leveraging frontier technologies to unlock better livelihoods, expand access to social protection
and skilling and enable every worker to participate with dignity, security and opportunity in India’s
growth story.
2047
(VisionTarget)
2035
(Mid-Term
Milestone)
2025
(Current
Baseline)
Keyindicators
$14,500$5,500
$1800
[11][21]PerCapitaIncome
42%25%
15%
[12]
FemaleLabourForce
Participation
100%80%
48%
[18]SocialSecurity
Coverage
$49/hour$15/hour
$5/hour
[13][22][23]Productivity
ProposedMacroMissionTargets:2035asaStrategicMidpointto2047
To realise this vision, the mission should prioritise building a sustainable ecosystem that advances
research and development (R&D) to develop indigenous, cutting-edge technologies, with a deliberate
emphasis on reducing technology costs to ensure these solutions are affordable, accessible, and
responsive to the diverse challenges of the informal workforce.
Proposed mission scope and deliverables
Measure
impact
•DeﬁneholisticKPIstotrackimpact
•EstablishagovernancemechanismtoreviewKPIsandcourse-
correctwhenneeded
•Buildandpublishrelevantdashboards
Missionscope Illustrativedeliverablesformissionorientation
Develop a
national
blueprint
Coordinate
fragmented
stakeholders
Catalyse
strategic
partnerships
Translate
innovation
into impact
Providepolicy
andregulatory
support
•ConstituteaDraftingCommitteetocodifytheMissionCharter.
•Setoutapreciseplanofactiontoleveragefrontier
technologies toaddresssystemicbarrierssuchastrust,
access,skillingandproductivityforIndia’sinformal
workforce.
•Outlinethetechnologypathwaystobeadopted,deﬁne
stakeholderrolesandresponsibilities,assess viableﬁnancing
models,identifynecessarypolicyandinfrastructureenablers,
prioritisesectorsandworkersegments,andstreamlinethe
implementationstrategy andtimelines.
•Establishmulti-tieredcoordinationforumsacrossstakeholder
groupstoensureconvergenceofschemes,datasystemsand
deliverymechanismsundertheMissionCharterandidentify
theappropriateprogrammes.
•Includeplansforfacilitatingcollaborationacrosstechnology
ﬁrms,manufacturers,skilling bodies,AIlabs,academiaand
civilsocietytoco-developandimplementscalable,sector-
speciﬁctechnologysolutions.
•Outlinepartnershipmodelsandtargetedincentiveschemes.
•Identifyandquantifygapsbetween emergingtechnologies and
ground-level outcomes.
•Prioritisehighimpactusecases,facilitatingpilotsand
enablingscalethroughadaptivedeploymentmodels.
•Identifypilotprogramsin8–10stateswithreal-timelearning
loopsandfeedbacksystems.
•Buildapipelineofhighimpactusecasesmappedtoworker
needsandsectorgaps.
•Assesstheneedsofregulatoryharmonisationrequiredforthe
implementationof themissiongoals/programmein the
identiﬁedsectors.
•Createadetailed mappingofregulatoryandlegalimpediments,
aswellastheenablingtoolstobalancetheneedforinnovation
withworkerprotection. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 22
Proposed mission scope and deliverables
Measure
impact
•DeﬁneholisticKPIstotrackimpact
•EstablishagovernancemechanismtoreviewKPIsandcourse-
correctwhenneeded
•Buildandpublishrelevantdashboards
Missionscope Illustrativedeliverablesformissionorientation
Develop a
national
blueprint
Coordinate
fragmented
stakeholders
Catalyse
strategic
partnerships
Translate
innovation
into impact
Providepolicy
andregulatory
support
•ConstituteaDraftingCommitteetocodifytheMissionCharter.
•Setoutapreciseplanofactiontoleveragefrontier
technologies toaddresssystemicbarrierssuchastrust,
access,skillingandproductivityforIndia’sinformal
workforce.
•Outlinethetechnologypathwaystobeadopted,deﬁne
stakeholderrolesandresponsibilities,assess viableﬁnancing
models,identifynecessarypolicyandinfrastructureenablers,
prioritisesectorsandworkersegments,andstreamlinethe
implementationstrategy andtimelines.
•Establishmulti-tieredcoordinationforumsacrossstakeholder
groupstoensureconvergenceofschemes,datasystemsand
deliverymechanismsundertheMissionCharterandidentify
theappropriateprogrammes.
•Includeplansforfacilitatingcollaborationacrosstechnology
ﬁrms,manufacturers,skilling bodies,AIlabs,academiaand
civilsocietytoco-developandimplementscalable,sector-
speciﬁctechnologysolutions.
•Outlinepartnershipmodelsandtargetedincentiveschemes.
•Identifyandquantifygapsbetween emergingtechnologies and
ground- level outcomes.
•Prioritisehighimpactusecases,facilitatingpilotsand
enablingscalethroughadaptivedeploymentmodels.
•Identifypilotprogramsin8–10stateswithreal-timelearning
loopsandfeedbacksystems.
•Buildapipelineofhighimpactusecasesmappedtoworker
needsandsectorgaps.
•Assesstheneedsofregulatoryharmonisationrequiredforthe
implementationof themissiongoals/programmein the
identiﬁedsectors.
•Createadetailed mappingofregulatoryandlegalimpediments,
aswellastheenablingtoolstobalancetheneedforinnovation
withworkerprotection.
Proposed mission structure and governance
Based on assessment, the mission should follow a multi-layered governance structure combining
national-level leadership with decentralised sector-/state- aligned delivery (refer to Figure 7).
In view of the Mission’s transformative objectives and its direct relevance to over 490 million informal
workers across diverse sectors and geographies, it is proposed that the apex implementation body
be chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, with representation from key ministries, departments, and
cross-sectoral stakeholders such as Ministry of Labour & Employment, Ministry of Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship etc. 23 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
It should be supported by capability teams to lead core functions, including technology strategy,
research and development, data, partnerships, policy and outreach. In parallel, sectoral task forces
comprising line ministries, state governments and institutional partners should drive solution
design and implementation across priority sectors. A dedicated state coordination unit should be
instituted to adapt the mission to local context, facilitate cross-departmental convergence and
oversee implementation across states.
Figure 7: Proposed overall structure of the mission
Apexgoverning
body
MissionDirector
Apexgoverningbody,chairedbyHon’blePM,
comprising cross-ministerialrepresentationtoset
missionstrategy,policy,budgetandoutcomes
Driveimplementation,partnerships,R&D
andensureregularmonitoring
SectoralTaskForce
(Agriculture&
Retail)
9 personas
SectoralTaskForce
(Healthcare&
Construction)
14personas
Indicativepersonas:Cultivators,
livestockhandlers,kiranastore
owners,streetfoodvendorsetc.
Indicativepersonas:Domestic/
Sanitationworkers,nurses,
masons, electrician,construction
workersetc.
Indicativepersonas:Machine
operators,diamond cutters,
potters, blacksmiths,handloom
weavers,etc.
Indicativepersonas:Cab/
commercial drivers,unorganised
educators,tour guides,textile
workersetc.
Dedicatedteamtolocalizemission,
ensureinter-departmentalalignment
anddriveon-ground execution
In-houseteam to
steerdesign and
deploymentof
ethical,inclusive
frontiertech
solutions.
Driveapplied
research,
innovation,and
prototypingfor
aﬀordable
solutions.
Generate and
integrate
ecosystem-wide
datatounlock
insights,track
impactand
inform
responsive
action.
Forge
collaborationsto
scalesolutions
andreachthelast
mile.
Unlockenablers
byaligning
policiesand
removing
systemicbarriers.
Buildtrustand
adoptionthrough
targeted
narrativesand
engagement.
Expert
groups
focused
ondriving
initiatives
inspeciﬁc
trade
sectors
State
Co-ordination
Unit
TechStrategy&
Advisory
CapabilityTeam
Research&
Development
CapabilityTeam
Data&Insights
CapabilityTeam
Partnerships
&Ecosystem
Capability
Team
Policy&
Regulatory
CapabilityTeam
Communication
& Outreach
CapabilityTeam
DigitalShramSetuMission
Council(DSSMC)
SectoralTaskForce
(Manufacturing&
Artisans)
18personas
SectoralTas kForce
(Logistics&Others)
14personas AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 24
Proposed mission delivery model
1. Persona and sector-led prioritisation
Undertake ground-level diagnostics to identify high-potential sectors where frontier
technologies can deliver maximum impact through targeted interventions and pilot design.
These sectoral or persona selection priorities should be periodically reassessed to reflect
evolving distributional shifts in the workforce over the next two decades.
2. Sector-agnostic enabler integration
Address cross-cutting enablers such as skilling, financial inclusion, social protection and
technology access by recommending tech interventions that can be embedded across
sector and use cases.
3. State-powered delivery enablement
Support states in adapting, integrating and implementing mission-aligned interventions
through dedicated digital labour missions and localised execution frameworks. The
technology interventions will be routed through sector or persona specific delivery channels
such as trade associations, federations, NGOs, cooperatives and social enterprises to
effectively reach targeted personas and drive last-mile adoption.
4. Unified execution with institutional ownership
Enable coordinated delivery across central institutions, with each anchoring domain-specific
interventions under a unified, mission-led architecture.
Proposed mission ecosystem framework
The Mission Charter shall outline mechanisms to establish a dynamic, multi-stakeholder ecosystem
that engages relevant actors across all phases of the mission lifecycle, from design and piloting to
scale and sustainability (refer to Figure 8). A strong public–private thrust will be essential to the
mission’s success.
Given the mission objectives’ cross-sectoral nature, stakeholder engagement must go beyond
formal consultative platforms, incorporating agile task forces and collaborative working groups
to ensure continuous alignment, foster knowledge exchange and uphold shared accountability
throughout implementation.
Figure 8: Proposed key stakeholders for mission engagement
Central ministries and
regulatory bodies
(e.g., MoLe, MeITy, MoF, RBI
etc.)
State ministries and local
government bodies
(e.g, Department of Labourand
Employment, Department of Skill
Development. Etc.)
Private sector and startups
(e.g., Indian conglomerates, MNCs,
MSMEs, AI/Tech startups etc.)
Think tanks
(e.g., NITI Aayog, CPR etc.)
.
Academia and research centres
(e.g. Academic institutions such as
IITs, IISc, IDC, innovation
incubators such as TIDE, RTBI,
CIIE.Coetc.)
NGOs, SHGs and civilsociety
organizations
(e.g, SHGs, CSOs etc.)
Skilling bodies
(e.g., NSDC, SSCs, ITIs, PMKVY
implementers, Skill India Digital
etc.)
Trade associations
(e.g., AHPI, IPA, AIACA, FICCI,
CAIT, CMAI, AEPC etc.)
Common citizens and
communities
(Everyday individuals and local
groups who interact with
informal workers) 25 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
• Central ministries and regulatory bodies will be actively engaged through the mission
governance structure to provide ongoing policy guidance, regulatory support, infrastructure
alignment and national-level coordination.
• State ministries and local government bodies will co-lead implementation efforts,
participating in sectoral task forces and state coordination cell to operationalise solutions,
build capacity and localise innovation.
• Private sector and startups will serve as strategic partners to co-develop digital solutions,
scale platforms and drive innovation through agile collaboration and rapid prototyping
• Think tanks will collaborate through working groups and capability panels to shape mission
strategy, monitor outcomes and provide real-time policy and implementation insights.
• Academia and research centres will partner with capability teams to generate context-
specific research, co-develop skilling frameworks and test tools for local adaptation.
• NGOs, SHGs and civil society organisations will be mobilised at the grassroots level to
facilitate awareness campaigns, drive digital literacy and gather feedback to refine service
delivery.
• Skilling bodies will be embedded within the mission’s delivery framework to provide
demand-aligned, tech-enabled skilling and certification pathways.
• Trade associations will work closely with sectoral task forces to identify transformation
levers, promote adoption and ensure worker integration.
• Common citizens and communities will be engaged through targeted outreach or other
communication channels to drive awareness, build trust and accelerate grassroots adoption
of mission initiatives.
Proposed risk management
Effective risk management is critical to the mission’s success and sustainability. These risks below
(illustrative), spanning across multiple categories, must be anticipated and addressed in the Mission
Charter through a structured approach.
• Strategic risks may arise from misalignment between ministries or change in policy priorities,
potentially undermining coherence and continuity.
• Financial risks include budgetary delays or insufficient co-funding mechanisms, which can
constrain execution.
• Technology-related risks stem from poor interoperability and the unreliability of technology
solutions in field conditions.
• Operational risks may arise due to local capacity constraints and inadequate last-mile
support, which can hinder implementation.
• Intellectual property risks involve ambiguities in ownership and licensing of co-developed
digital tools or solutions.
• Supply chain vulnerabilities such as hardware shortages and dependence on imports pose
additional challenges.
• Data and cybersecurity risks encompass breaches, misuse and weak consent protocols,
threatening trust and compliance. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 26
To mitigate these challenges, the mission must adopt a dynamic risk management framework,
supported by regular reviews and agile response mechanisms to enable timely course correction.
Proposed implementation roadmap
The mission is proposed to be implemented through a phased, outcome-driven approach designed
to ensure infrastructure readiness, scale and long-term sustainability. Each phase builds upon
the previous, aligning governance, infrastructure and innovation pathways toward nationwide
transformation.
• Phase 1: Mission orientation (2025–2026)
This phase will involve drafting a mission charter based on the drafting committee’s inputs. As
such, the mission statement will have a clear direction, time-bound targets and measurable
outcomes. Further, this phase will involve government, industry, academia and civil society
mobilisation at the agenda-setting process.
• Phase 2: Institutional setup and governance design (2026–2027)
Phase 2 will establish cross-sectoral governance structures, define clear leadership roles and
finalise the mission’s implementation blueprint, supported by enabling legal, regulatory and
digital infrastructure. It will focus on scaling domestic capabilities through cost-effective
hardware design, targeted R&D and resilient supply chains. National interoperability
protocols and infrastructure standards will be formalised. Public–private partnerships will be
launched, alongside a funding and incentive framework to unlock private capital and drive
innovation. A multi-level KPI system will track performance across institutional, technical and
social dimensions.
• Phase 3: Pilots and select programme launch (2027–2029)
This phase will mark the transition from planning to real-world implementation. Pilot
solutions will be deployed in high-readiness sectors to test real-world applicability. Last-mile
enablement will be prioritised to ensure accessibility and adoption. Robust monitoring and
evaluation systems per the framework will drive iterative refinements based on performance
and user feedback.
• Phase 4: Nationwide rollout and integration (2029 onwards)
The final phase will focus on scaling proven solutions across the country. Implementation will
be adapted to local contexts, with states and cities incentivised to tailor and adopt solutions
that meet regional workforce needs. Efforts will also be made to enable market linkages and
worker portability across sectors and geographies, unlocking long-term productivity and
resilience. This phase aims to institutionalise the mission’s interventions and ensure sustained
benefits for India’s informal workforce at scale. 27 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Proposed mission success evaluation framework
Alongside the phased implementation, a multi-level KPI framework is advised to monitor performance
across three key dimensions, beginning from Phase 2 onwards.
1. Worker-level KPIs to assess improvements in the lives and livelihoods of informal workers.
For example: median monthly income growth, scheme enrolment rate, average skilling
hours/worker
2. System-level KPIs to track structural shifts to integrate the informal economy into national
systems, such as monthly transaction volume, grievance resolution rate, platform uptime
3. Ecosystem-level KPIs to assess the effectiveness and partnerships by state or trade sector,
such as active PPP projects, state integration rate, innovation pilot success rate
The mission will empower India’s 490 million informal workers
[1]
by leveraging frontier technologies
to unlock better livelihoods, strengthen social protections and expand access to skilling and
opportunity. It will drive productivity, inclusion and resilience at scale placing workers at the heart
of India’s growth story and accelerating the journey toward a truly Viksit Bharat. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 28
REFERENCES
1. Indian Employment Report 2024 – International Labour Organisation (2024)
2. India needs to strive to be $30 tn economy with per capita income of $18,000: NITI document –
Economic Times (2024)
3. List of top 10 economies in the world as India overtakes Japan to become 4th largest – LiveMint
(2025)
4. Indian Employment Report 2024 – International Labour Organisation (2024)
5. Participation of women in workforce – Press Release (2024) by Ministry of Labour & Employment
6. Childcare regulation and women’s participation in the labour force – World Bank (2023)
7. Viksit Bharat 2047, NITI Aayog (2025)
8. Round Table Discussion on Improving Female Workforce Participation in India - Ministry of Labour
& Employment (2025)
9. Formal and Informal Economy Data - Statement referred to in reply to the Lok Sabha starred
question No. 283 - Ministry Of Finance and Department Of Economic Affairs (2024)
10. Vision for Viksit Bharat @ 2047 - An Approach Paper
11. Annual Report, Periodic Labour Force Survey, 2023-24
12. Women participation in blue-collar industry remains low at 14-15%: Report -The Hindu Business
Line (2023)
13. Consultation with Ministries/ Departments and other Stakeholders on estimation of Informal
Sector in Gross Domestic Product, Press Information Bureau (2025)
14. e-Identity – e-Estonia
15. Designing AI for Africa’s Realities: The Case of Rwanda’s Voice Chatbot (2025)
16. DigiFarm: A digital platform for farmers - DigiFarm
17. Netherlands Robotics Sector Growing, Especially in Agriculture, Says HowToRobot Report –
Robotics 24/7 (2023)
18. Ministry of Labour & Employment Kick-Starts India’s Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise
(2025)
19. NITI Working Paper: Viksit Bharat: unshackling job creators, empowering growth drivers (2024)
20. World Bank retains India FY26 GDP growth forecast at 6.3%, The New Indian Express (2025)
21. Operational and Economic Characteristics – Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises,
2022-23
22. Press note on first advance estimates of gross domestic product for 2024-25 – National Accounts
Division, National Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (2025)
23. Statistics on labour productivity – ILOSTAT (2025)
24. OECD Dashboard of Productivity Indicators (2023)
25. Annual Report, Periodic Labour Force Survey, 2018-19
26. The 2025 AI Index Report: Stanford University HAI
27. Report on “Electronics: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains”
28. Ericsson Mobility Report (2024)
29. Article on ““AI industry races to adapt chatbots to India’s many languages”, Financial Times
30. Article on “Qualcomm to enable 5G in sub-$100 (₹8,000) smartphones” by ET Telecom (2024)
31. India Blockchain Market Size, Share, Demand, Outlook 2025–2033 by IMARC Group 29 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
APPENDICES
Appendix A
List of all 55 representative personas identified as an outcome of persona prioritisation criteria
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
1
Agriculture
and Allied
Activities
Cultivators
(farmers)
Engages in growing
crops and managing
agricultural land for
food or commercial
produce. Precision
agriculture, drones,
soil sensors
and AI-based
advisory platforms
can improve
productivity.
Fragmented
landholding, low
digital access
and climate
risks increase
vulnerability without
targeted support.
20-25%
1 2
Medium
impact as more
than half the
population
are small
and marginal
farmers and
some exposure
to agritech
reduces
vulnerability.
Low feasibility
as there is a
high reliance on
manual farming
practices, with
slow adoption
of precision
agriculture.
• Associations such as
Agricultural Machinery
Manufacturers’
Association (AMMA-
India), Indian
Micro Fertilisers
Manufacturing
Association (IMMA),
CropLife India, etc.
• Federations/
Cooperatives such
as Farmer Producer
Organisations (FPOs)
supported by Small
Farmers Agribusiness
Consortium (SFAC)
• NGOs such as Ambuja
Foundation, Swadesh
Foundation, BAIF,
Digital Green, etc.
1 ET Online - Economic survey 2024: India has 18.3% unpaid workers, 57.3% of total workforce self‑employed (2024)
2 Agrarian Land – Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (2020) AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 30
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
2
Agriculture
and Allied
Activities
Agricultural
labourer
Performs manual
farm tasks such as
planting, harvesting
and irrigation. Tech
such as precision
farming and drone
spraying can boost
efficiency, but
adoption is low due
to digital access and
affordability gaps in
rural regions.
20-25%
1
High impact as
the majority
operate in the
informal sector,
facing extreme
income
instability
and seasonal
employment
risks.
Low feasibility
due to limited
technological
exposure
and limited
adaptability to
mechanised
or AI-driven
processes.
• Associations such as
Agricultural Machinery
Manufacturers’
Association (AMMA-
India), Indian
Micro Fertilisers
Manufacturing
Association (IMMA),
CropLife India, etc.
• NGOs such as SEWA,
PRADAN, Nidan, etc.
3
Agriculture
and Allied
Activities
Horticulture
worker
Grows and maintains
fruits, vegetables
and ornamental
plants. Controlled-
environment
agriculture and
sensor-driven
irrigation are
emerging, but
manual practices
dominate due to
high setup costs.
High impact
due to the
tendency of
facing seasonal
employment,
low wages and
high climate
dependence.
Low feasibility
as specialised
manual work
is needed,
with limited
mechanisation
feasibility
due to
crop-specific
requirements.
• Associations such
as Confederation
of Horticulture
Associations of India
(CHAI).
• Federations/
Cooperatives such as
VAPCOL (Vasundhara
Agri-Horti Producer
Co. Ltd.), HOPCOMS
(Horticultural
Producers’
Cooperative Marketing
and Processing
Society), etc.
• NGOs such as
BAIF Development
Research Foundation,
etc.
4
Agriculture
and Allied
Activities
Livestock
handler
Manages animal
care, feeding and
breeding operations.
Wearables and
AI-based health
tracking offer
improvements, but
tech use is limited
due to fragmented
ownership and low
awareness among
small-scale farmers.
2-5%
3
Medium impact
as they largely
operate in the
informal sector,
with limited
protection and
exposure to
disease and
climate-related
risks.
Low feasibility
as traditional,
hands-on roles
with minimal
automation
potential and
low digital
adoption.
• Associations such
as Indian Dairy
Association (IDA),
Poultry Federation
of India (PFI), Indian
Federation of Animal
Health Companies
(INFAH), etc.
• NGOs such as
ANTHRA, Heifer
International India,
BAIF Development
Research Foundation
etc.
5 Artisans Stone carvers
Crafts sculptures,
reliefs and
architectural
elements from stone.
CNC machines
can replicate basic
designs, but cultural,
religious and custom
projects still rely on
human artistry and
precision.
0-1%
4
High
impact as a
predominantly
informal
workforce,
facing declining
demand and
a lack of job
security.
Low feasibility
as traditional
craftsmanship
and bespoke
design needs
limit automation
feasibility.
• NGOs such as Dastkari
Haat Samiti, Surabhi
Foundation, etc.
3 Livestock’s contribution to Indian Economy – Pashudhan Praharee (2020)
4 e-Shram Dashboard, Ministry of Labour & Employment, GoI (As on date – July 2025) 31 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
6 Artisans Goldsmiths
Designs and
fabricates intricate
gold jewellery and
ornaments. 3D
printing and AI
design tools assist
in prototyping,
but custom work,
finishing and client-
specific designs
continue to need
skilled human hands.
0-1%
4
Medium
impact as a
predominantly
informal and
skill-based,
goldsmiths
face income
instability and
limited access
to formal credit
or market
linkages,
especially
in rural and
traditional
settings.
Low
feasibility
as despite
advancements
in CAD design
and precision
casting,
handcrafted
jewellery
remains
dominant
in India due
to cultural
preferences
and intricate
custom
designs,
making full
automation
challenging.
• Associations such
as Gems & Jewellery
Export Promotion
Council (GJEPC), All
India Artisans and
Craftworkers Welfare
Association (AIACA),
etc.
7 Artisans Cobblers
Repairs and
customises footwear,
often in informal
markets. While
industrial footwear
production is
automated, repair
and personalisation
services still require
manual skill, keeping
cobblers relevant in
low-cost and local
settings.
0-1%
4
High impact
as majority
of workers
operate
informally in
urban and
semi-urban
areas with
limited income
security;
factory-
produced
footwear and
changing
consumer
habits threaten
demand.
Low feasibility
as while
machine-based
shoe production
exists, street-
level cobbling
is deeply
manual and
personalised,
limiting
automation
potential.
• Industry and skilling
bodies such as
• Dalit Indian Chamber
of Commerce &
Industry (DICCI),
Central Leather
Research Institute
(CLR).
• NGOs such as Future
Footwear Foundation
and Dastkar.
8 Artisans Tailor (darzi)
Stitches and alters
garments for daily
and custom use.
Automated cutting
tables and AI-based
size recommendation
tools exist, but most
tailors work informally
with low-tech setups.
0-1%
5
Medium impact
as most tailors
operate in the
informal sector,
making them
vulnerable
to income
instability
and lacking
structured
support.
Medium
feasibility due
to AI-based
design tools,
auto-cutting
machines and
digital tailoring
platforms are
increasingly
replacing
manual
processes.
• NGOs such as
Usha Silai Schools,
Devipeeth India
Foundation, Sambhali
Trust, etc.
• Associations such
as Master Tailors
Association in India
(IMTA), Association
of Sewing and Design
Professionals (ASDP)
etc.
9 Artisans Potter
Crafts clay items
for daily use and
rituals. 3D printing
and mould-based
production offer
efficiency, but
cultural, artistic and
rural context limits
tech substitution.
0-1%
4
High impact
as the majority
deal in informal
work, with
declining
traditional
markets posing
high risks.
Medium
feasibility as
AI-driven 3D
printing and
automated
pottery wheels
support
transition but
require skill
and design
adaptation.
• Associations such as
All India Artisans and
Craftworkers Welfare
Association (AIACA),
Khadi and Village
Industries Commission
(KVIC), Mittikalaa
Societies etc.
• NGOs such as
Gramodaya Sangh,
Dastkar, etc.
5 Rentech Digital - List of Tailors in India (2025) AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 32
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
10 Artisans
Diamond
cutter
Shape and polish
diamonds using
high-precision
tools. Laser cutting
and AI-based
grading are industry
standards in formal
setups, but smaller
units continue to
rely on hand-based
expertise.
0-1%
6
Medium
impact as a
partially formal
workforce
with export
dependence
impacting job
stability.
Medium
feasibility as
laser-cutting
technology
and AI-driven
precision
enhance
automation, but
craftsmanship is
still valued.
• Skill partners such
as Kaushalya Skill
Foundation, Gems and
Jewellery Skill Council
of India (GJSCI), etc.
• Associations or
co-operatives such
as Surat Diamond
Association (SDA),
etc.
11 Artisans Barber
Provides
grooming and
hair care services
in communities.
Online booking
and digital
payments can
modernise
service delivery.
Requires personal
interaction and a
skill-based nature
to secure demand.
0-1%
4
Medium
impact as the
majority of
the workforce
is informal,
with income
vulnerability
during health
crises or
economic
downturns;
however,
they continue
to provide
essential
services.
Low feasibility,
as while digital
tools support
business
operations,
haircutting
and grooming
remain manual,
craft-based
services
that relies
on personal
engagement
and skill.
• Associations or
skilling bodies such
as All India Nai Samaj,
Regional Barber
Unions in UP, Bihar,
Odisha, Beauty &
Wellness Sector Skill
Council (B&WSSC),
etc.
12 Artisans Coir weaver
Weaves mats,
ropes and brushes
traditionally
using coconut
fibre or similar
natural materials.
Automation in
weaving and
demand for
synthetic materials
may reduce the
need. A low-income,
traditional craft with
limited access to
modernisation.
0-1%
4
High impact
as primarily
women-led
rural craft,
with income
fluctuations
and limited
formal backing;
the sector is
price-sensitive
and labour-
intensive.
Medium
feasibility as
automated
spinning
and weaving
technologies
exist, but the
artisanal and
household
nature of the
work makes
full automation
difficult.
• Associations or skilling
bodies such as All
India Artisans and
Craftworkers Welfare
Association (AIACA),
National Coir Training
& Design Centre, etc.
13 Artisans Toolkit makers
Fabricates
and assembles
customised toolkits
for tradespeople. 3D
printing and mass
production may
impact manual toolkit
fabrication. A niche,
informal role with
limited scalability
or potential digital
adoption.
0-1%
4
Medium impact
as mostly
small-scale
producers with
little formal
protection,
facing
pressure from
standardised
factory-made
toolkits. Low feasibility
as precision
manufacturing
tech exists, but
local production
remains
handcrafted
or semi-
mechanised, with
low automation
suitability.
• NGOs such as Dastkari
Haat Samiti, Craftizen
Foundation, etc.
6 Infomerics Ratings - India’s diamond industry: Trends, opportunities and challenges (2024) 33 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
14 Artisans
Doll and toy
makers
Creates toys by hand
or semi-mechanised
methods, often
for local or
craft markets.
Competition from
mass-produced
and digital toys
reduces market
share. Operates in
the informal sector,
vulnerable to market
and technology
disruption.
0-1%
4
High impact
as small-
scale artisans
face intense
competition
from imported
toys and
large-scale
manufacturing,
with low job
security.
Low feasibility
as 3D printing
and automated
toy production
exist, but most
traditional
artisans rely on
manual methods
and lack capital
or access to
technology.
• Association or co-
operatives such as
All India Artisans
and Craftworkers
Welfare Association
(AIACA), Channapatna
Handicrafts
Cooperative, etc.
• NGOs such as Dastkari
Haat Samiti, Craftizen
Foundation, etc.
15 Artisans Locksmiths
Smart locks
and electronic
access systems
are transforming
traditional
locksmithing.
Requires upskilling,
but demand persists
due to personalised
service.
0-1%
4
Medium impact
as rising urban
security needs
and smart
lock tech
are shifting
traditional
locksmith roles,
particularly in
metros.
Medium
feasibility
as digital
lock systems
and smart
access tools
are available
but require
reskilling;
manual key-
cutting still
dominates in
Tier 2/3 cities.
• Associations or
co-operatives such
as Dindigul Lock
Workers’ Industrial
Co-operative Society,
Urban Toolsmith
Guilds, etc.
16 Artisans
Fishing net
maker
Crafts nets for local
fishing communities,
tailored to specific
fishing techniques
and environments.
Synthetic fibre
technologies and
machine-made
nets dominate the
market. Artisanal
makers face
competition from
mass production.
0-1%
4
Medium
impact as
predominantly
coastal and
informal
workforce,
with rising
input costs and
reduced market
stability due to
competition.
Medium
feasibility as
mechanised
net weaving
machines
are used in
industrial
settings, but
traditional
manual net-
making still
dominates local
markets.
• Federation or co-
operatives such as
National Federation of
Fishers Cooperatives
(FISHCOPFED),
Fishermen’s
Cooperative
Federations in
different states, etc.
• NGOs such as Dakshin
Foundation, MSSRF
(M. S. Swaminathan
Research Foundation),
etc.
17 Artisans
Blacksmiths
Shapes metal using
traditional forging
techniques for
tools, hardware and
ornamental work.
Mass production
reduces demand,
but artisanal and
custom metalwork
retain niche value.
Technology has a
limited impact due
to the manual nature
of the craft.
0-1%
7
Medium
impact as a
highly informal
workforce, but
niche demand
in rural areas
provides some
stability.
Medium
feasibility as
automated
forging and CNC
metalworking
are increasing
efficiency, but
still require
craftsmanship.
• Associations such as
All India Artisans and
Craftworkers Welfare
Association (AIACA),
State-level Artisans
Cooperatives, etc.
• NGOs such as
Devipeeth India
Foundation, Dastkari
Haat Samiti, etc.
7 Rentech Digital - List of blacksmiths in India AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 34
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
18 Artisans Armourer
Traditionally makes
protective gear
and weaponry; now
largely ceremonial
or artisanal. Minimal
direct tech impact;
may benefit from
digital marketing
or restoration tech.
Rare, heritage-based
profession with
declining relevance.
0-1%
4
Low impact, as
it is a heritage
craft with niche
ceremonial
or decorative
demand; low
workforce
size and high
cultural value.
Low feasibility
as no significant
tech substitutes;
craftsmanship
is core to value
and automation
would reduce
cultural
authenticity.
• Associations such
as Rural Toolmakers’
Guilds, Local Artisan
Cooperatives, etc.
• NGOs such as
Dastkari Haat
Samiti, Vishwakarma
Association Trusts
(region-specific), etc.
19
Civic,
domestic and
healthcare
services
Domestic
workers
Perform household
tasks such as
cleaning, cooking
and caregiving.
Smart home devices
reduce some tasks,
but trust, flexibility
and affordability
keep this role human
centred.
6-10%
8
Medium impact
due to growing
awareness and
the need for
formalisation
offers some
protection.
Low feasibility,
as Smart home
technology
may assist, but
full automation
is not widely
feasible.
• Federations/ Skilling
bodies such as
National Domestic
Workers Federation
(NDWF), Domestic
Workers Sector Skill
Council (DWSSC), etc.
• NGOs such as SEWA
(Self Employed
Women’s Association),
Jagori etc.
20
Civic,
domestic and
healthcare
services
Sanitation
workers
Handle waste
collection, sewer
cleaning and
public sanitation.
Mechanised cleaning
is expanding in
cities, but manual
scavenging persists
in many regions,
demanding urgent
tech-driven reforms.
0-1%
9
High impact
due to
hazardous
working
conditions
and low
wages, making
them highly
vulnerable.
High feasibility,
as automated
cleaning robots,
AI-based waste
sorting and
smart sewage
systems
enhance the
transition
potential.
• Associations or
co-operatives such
as India Sanitation
Coalition, National
Safai Karmachari
Finance and
Development
Corporation
(NSKFDC) etc.
• NGOs such as Sulabh
International, Hasiru
Dala etc.
21
Civic,
domestic and
healthcare
services
Nurses
Provides direct
patient care and
supports medical
procedures. AI tools
assist in diagnostics
and monitoring, but
empathy, physical
care and critical
decisions keep the
role firmly human-
centric.
0-1%
10
Low impact
due to
high formal
employment
with demand-
driven stability
in healthcare
Medium
feasibility as AI-
driven patient
monitoring,
robotic
assistance
and predictive
diagnostics are
transforming
healthcare;
however,
human touch
is required in
patient care.
• Associations such
as Trained Nurses
Association of India
(TNAI), All India
Government Nurses
Federation (AIGNF),
etc.
• NGOs such as
HelpAge India, Nurses
for You Foundation,
etc.
8 Statista - Registered unorganised workers by sector in India (2025)
9 WaterAid - The hidden world of sanitation workers in India (2021)
10 Medical Buyer - India faces nurses shortage; nurse‑population ratio hits 1.96:1000 (2024) 35 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
22
Civic,
domestic and
healthcare
services
ASHA worker
Delivers community-
level healthcare
services in rural
areas, often acting
as the first point of
contact. AI-powered
health apps and
telemedicine
can assist but
cannot replace
physical outreach
and trust-based
care. Technology
enhances efficiency,
but cannot fully
automate the role.
0-1%
11
Medium
impact as a
semi-formal
workforce,
with variable
pay and a lack
of permanent
employment
benefits.
Medium
feasibility as
digital health
tools and AI-
powered remote
diagnostics
aid transition
but require
adaptation.
• Associations such
as ASHA Workers’
and Facilitators’
Federation of India
(AWFFI), etc.
• Other organisations
such as Public Health
Resource Network
(PHRN), Centre for
Health and Social
Justice (CHSJ) etc.
23
Civic,
domestic and
healthcare
services
Lab technician
Conducts
diagnostic tests,
prepares samples
and maintains
lab equipment.
Automation
improves speed and
accuracy, but human
supervision remains
necessary for
test accuracy and
complex diagnostics.
0-1%
12
Low impact
as higher
formalisation
with steady
demand in
healthcare and
diagnostics.
Medium
feasibility
as AI-based
automated
testing and
diagnostics are
growing, but still
require human
oversight.
• Association or
skill councils
such as All India
Medical Laboratory
Technologists
Association (AIMLTA),
Life Sciences Sector
Skill Development
Council (LSSSDC),
Healthcare Sector Skill
Council (HSSC), etc.
• Training Partners
such as Apollo
MedSkills, IL&FS Skills,
MedVarsity, etc.
24
Civic,
domestic and
healthcare
services
Home
healthcare
workers
Supports basic
medical care,
elder care and
rehabilitation in
home settings,
including
administering
medicines, hygiene
assistance and
monitoring vitals.
Largely informal
workforce.
0-1%
13
High impact
as frontier
tech can
boost home
healthcare
efficiency.
IoT monitors,
remote
diagnostics and
app platforms
enable better
elderly care for
a marginally
ageing
population.
Medium
feasibility as
smartphone
penetration and
low-cost devices
enables remote
supervision,
though digital
literacy and
regulatory gaps
persist.
• NGOs or providers
such as HelpAge
India, Nightingale
Empowerment
Foundation, Care24,
Portea Medical, etc.
11 Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. (2020)
12 Aspire Circle - Diagnostic report: HLTH (2022)
13 Indian Home Healthcare 2.0 : Redefining the Modern Care Continuum – Nat Health India (2022) AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 36
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
25
Construction &
infrastructure
Plumber
Installs and
maintains piping
systems in homes
and buildings.
Sensor-driven leak
detection and digital
blueprints aid large
projects, but most
jobs remain manual
and require on-site
diagnosis.
0-1%
14
Low impact
as mostly
an informal
workforce, but
specialised
skills offer
stable job
prospects.
High feasibility
as AI-driven
leak detection,
automated
diagnostics and
smart plumbing
solutions
support the
transition.
• Skill council or
associations such as
Water Management &
Plumbing Skill Council
(WMPSC), Indian
Plumbing Association
(IPA), etc.
26
Construction &
infrastructure
Mason
Builds walls and
structures using
bricks, concrete
and mortar. Robotic
bricklayers and
prefab tech exist but
are mostly used in
large-scale projects.
Site variability and
skill requirements
make full automation
difficult.
0-1%
15
Low impact as
the majority of
the workforce
is in informal
work, but
skill-based
employment
offers relative
stability
compared
to general
labourers.
Medium
feasibility,
as some
automation
in bricklaying
and 3D
printing exists,
but manual
skill remains
essential.
• Skill Council or
associations such as
Construction Skill
Development Council
of India (CSDCI),
Builders Association
of India (BAI), CREDAI
local chapters, etc.
• NGOs or social
enterprises such
as LabourNet, TNS
India Foundation,
GMR Varalakshmi
Foundation, etc.
27
Construction &
infrastructure
Painter
Prepares and
paints surfaces
in construction
and renovation
work. Industrial
automation is
feasible, but
residential and
decorative painting
still requires manual
skill, precision and
adaptability.
0-1%
16
Low impact as
mostly informal,
but demand
fluctuation is
lower and skills
are transferable
across sectors.
High feasibility,
as spray-
painting robots
and AI-driven
precision
painting offer
high transition
feasibility.
• Skill Council or
associations such as
Construction Skill
Development Council
of India (CSDCI),
Builders Association
of India (BAI), etc.
• Training Partners
such as Berger Paints
iTrain, Nerolac Paint
Academy, etc.
28
Construction &
infrastructure
Electrician
Installs and repairs
wiring, appliances
and lighting systems.
Smart home
devices and energy
monitoring tools are
growing, especially
in urban areas, but
field adaptability
remains key.
11-15%
17
High impact
with limited
to moderate
formalisation,
with steady
demand
for services
ensuring
employment
continuity.
Medium
feasibility as
smart home
technologies,
AI diagnostics
and automation
improve
efficiency
and ease of
transition.
• Skill Council or
associations such
as Power Sector
Skill Council (PSSC),
Construction
Federation of India
(CFI), etc.
• NGOs such as
Pratham, Don Bosco
Tech, etc.
14 Book Clean Go - Plumbing statistics
15 Empowering Communities: CSDCI’s Impact in Upskilling Masons for PM Awas Yojana-Rural in Lucknow (2023)
16 Paint and Coalition Skill Industry - Indian Paint Industry
17 India’s construction sector second largest employment generator: Report – Economic Times (2023) 37 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
29
Construction &
infrastructure
Heavy
equipment
operator
Operates large
machinery such
as cranes and
bulldozers at
infrastructure
sites. While semi-
automated systems
are emerging,
high costs and
unpredictable
environments mean
human operators
remain essential.
Tech augments but
does not replace
the role.
11-15%
18
Low impact
as higher
formal sector
presence, with
steady demand
and specialised
training
reducing job
vulnerability.
Medium
feasibility as AI
and automation
are enhancing
efficiency,
but manual
control remains
dominant in
operations.
• Skill Council or
associations such
as Infrastructure
Equipment Skill
Council (IESC),
National Highways
Builders Federation
(NHBF), etc.
• Training partners such
as L&T Construction
Skill Training Institutes,
Tata Hitachi Operator
Training Centres,
Volvo CE Operator
Training Schools, etc.
30
Construction &
infrastructure
Carpenters
Builds wooden
structures,
furniture and
fixtures. Computer
numerical control
(CNC) routers and
automated cutting
tools improve
precision, but high
equipment costs and
artisanal demand
preserve manual
relevance.
Medium
impact as the
majority in
informal work,
but skills allow
flexibility and
adaptability
in various
industries.
Medium
feasibility as
CNC machines
and AI-driven
design tools
allow for easy
adoption of
automation.
• Skill Council such as
Construction Skill
Development Council
of India (CSDCI).
• NGOs or social
enterprises such as
LabourNet, TNS India
Foundation, etc.
31
Construction &
infrastructure
Fabricator/
welder
Cuts and joins
metal parts for
machinery, buildings
and vehicles.
Robotic welding is
common in industrial
setups, but in
small workshops
and informal units,
manual skills remain
central.
Low impact as
higher formal
employment
share with
technical
expertise,
reducing
the risk of
displacement.
High feasibility
as robotic
welding and
automated
fabrication are
increasingly
used in
large-scale
manufacturing.
• Skill Council or
associations such as
Construction Skill
Development Council
of India (CSDCI),
Indian Welding
Society (IWS), etc.
• NGOs such as Don
Bosco Tech, Tata
STRIVE, etc.
32
Construction &
infrastructure
Construction
workers
Engages in
site-level labour
including brickwork,
concreting and
material handling.
While prefabrication
and site automation
are rising, informal
hiring and job
variability keep tech
integration low.
Medium impact
as majority of
the workforce
operates in the
informal sector,
but large-scale
infrastructure
projects
provide some
stability.
Medium
feasibility due
to increasing
adoption of
AI-driven site
management
and mechanised
processes, but
still labour-
intensive.
• Skill Council or
associations such as
Construction Skill
Development Council
of India (CSDCI),
Builders Association
of India (BAI), CREDAI
local chapters, etc.
• NGOs or social
enterprises such
as LabourNet,
Aajeevika Bureau,
GMR Varalakshmi
Foundation, etc.
18 India’s construction sector second largest employment generator: Report – Economic Times (2023) AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 38
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
33
Manufacturing
and industrial
activities
Machine
operator
Runs and monitors
machinery in
manufacturing units.
Automation and
AI are increasingly
handling repetitive
tasks, but operators
are still needed
for supervision,
troubleshooting and
precision control.
Partially formalised
sector, but skill-
based roles offer
some security.
Medium impact
as a partially
formalised
sector, but
skill-based roles
offer some
security.
High feasibility
as AI-based
process control
and automated
manufacturing
equipment ease
transition.
• Skill council such as
Capital Goods Skill
Council (CGSC),
Automotive Skill
Development Council
(ASDC) etc.
• NGOs such as Tata
STRIVE, Deshpande
Foundation, Pratham
Institute, etc.
34
Manufacturing
and industrial
activities
Manufacturing
worker
Works on shop-
floor operations in
textiles, engineering
or Fast-moving
Consumer Goods
(FMCG) units.
Automation, IoT
sensors and quality
control AI are
growing in formal
sectors, but majority
are still in informal
settings.
0-1%
19
High impact as
a large majority
of workers
operate in
informal
employment,
with
automation
posing risks to
long-term job
security.
High feasibility
as robotic
assembly lines
and AI-driven
quality control
significantly
improve
automation
potential.
• Skill council or
associations such
as Capital Goods
Skill Council (CGSC),
Federation of Indian
Micro and Small &
Medium Enterprises
(FISME), etc.
• NGOs or social
enterprises such as
LabourNet, Pratham,
etc.
35
Manufacturing
and industrial
activities
Packaging
workers
Perform manual or
semi-automated
tasks such as
sorting, labelling
and sealing goods
in manufacturing,
food processing
or logistics units.
In India, many
work in informal
setups with limited
mechanisation,
though automated
packaging lines are
emerging in large-
scale industries.
Medium
impact as
predominantly
informal, but
FMCG and
e-commerce
growth provide
steady demand.
Low feasibility
as AI-powered
sorting and
packaging
machines
enhance
efficiency,
but human
oversight is still
required.
• Skill council or
associations such
as Food Industry
Capacity and Skill
Initiative (FICSI), All
India Food Processors’
Association (AIFPA),
etc.
36
Manufacturing
and industrial
activities
Miners
Extracts minerals
and resources from
underground or
surface mines. While
autonomous drilling
and safety tech are
expanding, harsh
and unpredictable
conditions still
require human
intervention and
oversight.
2-5%
20
High impact
due to high
exposure to
hazardous
conditions, with
a mix of formal
and informal
employment.
Medium
feasibility as
AI is improving
safety and
automation, but
underground
operations still
require human
oversight.
• Skill council or
research bodies such
as Mining Sector
Skill Council (MSSC),
National Institute of
Miners’ Health (NIMH)
etc.
• NGOs such as Mines,
Minerals & People, etc.
19 Total employment in manufacturing industries up 7.5% in FY23: Govt survey – Business Standard (2025)
20 Overview of Mining Sector in India - National Mining Ministers’ Conference 2025 (2025) 39 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
37
Logistics &
transportation
Delivery
drivers
Transport goods
across urban and
rural areas. Route
optimisation
apps and last-
mile tracking are
common, but gig-
model instability
and limited skilling
restrict broader tech
usage.
2-5%
21
High impact
as the majority
work in the
gig economy,
lacking job
security
and labour
protection.
Medium
feasibility as
autonomous
delivery vehicles
and drone
deliveries are
emerging,
but human
involvement
remains.
• Skill council or
associations such as
Logistics Sector Skill
Council (LSSC), All
India Transporters
Welfare Association
(AITWA), Express
Industry Council of
India (EICI), etc.
38
Logistics &
transportation
Auto rickshaw
driver
Drives three-
wheeled auto-
rickshaws for
short-distance
public transport.
E-rickshaws and
aggregator apps
are improving
operations and
customer reach.
Tech adoption
is growing,
but regulatory
and financial
vulnerabilities exist.
The majority exist
in unions and have
access to bargaining
power.
0-1%
22
Medium
impact as the
workforce is
mostly informal,
although
it operates
through
unions. High
local demand
provides
relative income
stability.
Low feasibility
as there is
limited adoption
due to low
infrastructure
for automation
and cost
barriers.
• Associations such
as Auto Rickshaw
Drivers’ Unions, All
India Road Transport
Workers Federation,
etc.
39
Logistics &
transportation
Heavy vehicle
driver
Operates trucks and
transport vehicles
over long distances.
Fleet tracking, route
optimisation and
automation impact
long-haul logistics.
It is a critical role
but susceptible to
gradual automation
trends.
0-1%
23
Medium
impact as
mostly informal
employment
with long
working hours
and high job
risks.
Medium
feasibility as
AI-driven fleet
management
and driver-assist
technologies
are improving
transition
feasibility.
• Skill council or
industry bodies such
as Logistics Sector
Skill Council (LSSC),
Indian Foundation of
Transport Research
and Training (IFTRT),
etc.
• NGOs such as
SaveLIFE Foundation,
Muskaan Foundation
for Road Safety, etc.
40
Logistics &
transportation
Cab/
commercial
driver
Drives taxis or
commercial vehicles
for passenger or
goods transport.
Ride-hailing
platforms and
GPS tech improve
efficiency; EV shift
underway. Platform
integration may
boost access but
may lead to labour
fragmentation.
0-1%
24
High impact as
predominantly
informalised,
with ride-
hailing services
disrupting
traditional
employment.
Medium
feasibility as
self-driving
technology is
advancing, but
full adoption is
still distant.
• Skill council or
federations such
as Automotive
Skill Development
Council (ASDC),
Indian Federation of
App-based Transport
Workers (IFAT), etc.
• NGOs such as
SaveLIFE Foundation,
Muskaan Foundation
for Road Safety, etc.
21 Food delivery economy crucial, generates large-scale employment: Gadkari – Business Standard (2024)
22 Assessing the Viability of Using Autorickshaws for Urban Freight Delivery in India – WRI India (2023)
23 Transportation Problem in India – FR8 (2024)
24 Wanted: More women in taxi, logistics lane – The Economic Times (2024) AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 40
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
41
Retail and
food services
Supermarket/
hypermart
workers
Manages stocking,
billing and customer
assistance in
retail settings.
Self-checkouts
and AI-based
inventory tools are
rising, but human
workers remain
key for customer
interaction and
on-floor flexibility.
This role has a
higher potential to
be formalised given
that its operations
exist largely in Tier
1/Tier 2 cities.
0-1%
25
Medium impact
due to higher
formalised
employment,
but automation
and
e-commerce
may impact job
stability.
Medium
feasibility as
self-checkout
systems, AI
inventory
tracking
and robotic
assistants are
increasingly
adopted.
• Associations such as
Retailers Association
of India (RAI),
National Supermarket
Association, etc.
42
Retail and
food services
Waiters
Serve food and
assist customers
in eateries and
restaurants.
While automated
kitchens and AI-
driven ordering
exist in chains,
personalised service
makes human staff
indispensable in
most setups.
0-1%
5
Medium impact
as mostly
informal but
hospitality
industry
growth offers
steady job
opportunities.
Low feasibility
as while robotic
servers exist,
widespread
adoption
remains cost-
prohibitive in
most settings.
• Skill council or
associations such
as Tourism and
Hospitality Sector
Skill Council,
National Restaurant
Association of India
(NRAI)
• NGOs such as Don
Bosco Tech Society,
Pratham Hospitality
Training, etc.
43
Retail and
food services
Kirana store
workers
Manages small-
format grocery
operations, handling
stocking, billing and
sales. POS systems
and digital payments
are rising, but face
uneven adoption
in Tier 3 towns and
rural areas.
2-5%
26
Medium impact
as the majority
operates in
the informal
sector, with
digital retail
posing risks but
local demand
sustaining
employment.
Low feasibility
due to high
reliance
on manual
customer
interaction
and local
knowledge,
limiting full
automation.
• Associations such as
Retailers Association
of India (RAI), Trust
for Retailers and Retail
Associates of India
(TRRAIN), etc.
44
Retail and
food services
Street food
vendor
Prepares and sells
food in informal
roadside setups.
While mobile
ordering and
automation are
growing in fast
food chains, the
street vendor
model thrives on
customisation,
affordability and
local engagement.
0-1%
27
High impact as
almost entirely
in the informal
sector, facing
financial and
job security
risks.
Low
feasibility as
customisation,
live cooking
and customer
interaction
limits the scope
of automation.
• Associations such as
National Association
of Street Vendors
of India (NASVI),
National Hawkers
Federation (ILWF),
etc.
• NGOs such as
Aajeevika Bureau,
Janpahal, etc.
25 List of Supermarkets in India – Rentech Digital Smartscrapers (2025)
26 Modernisation of Kirana Stores in India – Invest India (2021)
27 Project Clean Street Food – FSSAI (2016) 41 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
45
Retail and
food services
Dhaba worker
Supports food
preparation and
service at informal
highway eateries.
Large-scale
automation and
cloud kitchens are
emerging, but they
cannot replicate
the local flavour,
familiarity and
low-cost appeal of
dhabas.
0-1%
28
High impact as
predominantly
informal with
no labour
protections
and irregular/
unstable
income.
Low feasibility
as personalised
cooking and
local hospitality
make AI
adoption
challenging.
• Associations such as
State-level Dhaba/
roadside restaurateur
associations and
NGOs such as
Aajeevika Bureau,
Janpahal, etc.
46 Others
Aquaculture
workers
Farm and manage
aquatic species such
as fish and shrimp.
IoT-based water
quality sensors and
feeding automation
are being piloted,
but smallholders
face high barriers to
entry.
6-10%
29
Medium
impact due to
high informal
employment,
but increasing
government
focus provides
growth
opportunities.
Low feasibility
as AI-powered
monitoring
and automated
feeding exists,
though hands-
on work remains
dominant.
• Federations and
academia such as
All India Fishers and
Fisheries Workers
Federation (AIFFWF),
Society of Aquaculture
Professionals, Central
Institute of Fisheries
Technology (CIFT),
etc.
• NGOs such as Dakshin
Foundation, MSSRF
(M.S. Swaminathan
Research Foundation),
etc.
47 Others
Unorganised
educators
Provides subject-
specific academic
support at homes or
in informal settings,
often supplementing
school education.
Operates outside
formal school
systems with high
variability in quality
and pay.
0-1%
5
Medium
impact due to
rising EdTech
penetration,
voice-AI tutors
and adaptive
content tools.
But personal
trust and
localised
learning remain
strong drivers.
Medium
feasibility with
growing mobile-
first learning
platforms,
vernacular
video content
and AI-driven
performance
tracking;
many are
already using
technology
informally via
WhatsApp or
YouTube.
• Associations such as
Bharat Gyan Vigyan
Samiti (BGVS), State-
level Shikshak Sanghs,
etc.
• NGOs such as Piramal
Foundation, Pratham
Education Foundation,
ShikshaLokam, etc.
28 Why are dhabas more famous than hotels in India? – Punjabi Vaishno Dhaba (2025)
29 Press Information Bureau - e-Shram portal crosses 27 crore registrations (2022) AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 42
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
48 Others Port worker
Loads, unloads
and manages
goods at ports and
shipping terminals.
Port automation,
scanners and
logistics tech can
optimise operations.
The role is highly
manual and faces
risk from full-scale
digitisation and
mechanisation.
0-1%
30

31

32
Medium impact
as a partially
formalised
sector, but
mechanisation
and efficiency
measures may
impact jobs.
Medium
feasibility as
AI-powered
cargo tracking
and robotic
cranes improve
efficiency, but
manual work
persists.
• Associations or co-
operatives such as All
India Port and Dock
Workers Federation,
Coastal Container
Transporters
Association (CCTA),
India Private Ports and
Terminal Associations
(IPPTA), etc.
49 Others
Leather
workers
Design and produce
leather goods.
Computer-aided
Design (CAD)
software and
automated cutting
machines are being
adopted by larger
units, but small-
scale workers still
rely on manual
craftsmanship.
0-1%
33
High impact
as workers are
vulnerable with
unstable wages
and declining
traditional
demand.
Medium
feasibility
as AI-driven
pattern cutting
and automated
processing
improve
transition
potential.
• Skill council or
associations such as
Leather Sector Skill
Council (LSSC), Indian
Leather Products
Association (ILPA),
etc.
• Academic bodies such
as Footwear Design &
Development Institute
(FDDI), Central
Leather Research
Institute (CLR), etc.
30 Cargo handled at India’s major ports rises 4.3% to 855 million tonnes in FY25 – Mint (2025)
31 Employments In Ports – Manpower at Non Major Ports as on 31st March 2013 - Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India
(2013)
32 Employments In Ports - Manpower at major ports as on 31st March 2013 2013 - Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India
(2013)
33 INDIAN LEATHER INDUSTRY – OVERVIEW, EXPORT PERFORMANCE & PROSPECTS - COUNCIL FOR LEATHER EXPORTS
(2021) 43 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
50 Others
Laundry
workers
(dhobi)
Wash and iron
clothes using manual
or semi-automatic
tools. Industrial
laundromats are
growing in cities,
but traditional
methods persist in
smaller towns and
communities.
0-1%
34
Medium
impact as the
workforce is
mostly informal,
but steady
demand in
smaller cities/
towns ensures
relative income
stability.
Low feasibility
as AI-assisted
dry cleaning
and industrial
washing
automation
exists, but
manual work is
still prevalent.
• Association such
as Dhobi Kalyan &
Dhobi Seva Samitis
(State Federations),
All India Washermen
Federation, etc.
• NGOs such as
Goonj, SelfEmployed
Women’s Association
(SEWA), etc.
51 Others
Seafood
processing
worker
Cleans, sorts and
packages seafood
in coastal or export
hubs. Processing
automation and
hygiene tech may
replace manual
labour. Physically
demanding and
repetitive work with
low job security.
0-1%
35
High impact
as the majority
of workers are
in the informal
sector. They
are highly
vulnerable to
automation,
export
compliance
regulations
and seasonal
employment
instability.
Medium
feasibility as
AI enhances
sorting, grading
and de-shelling,
but human
oversight is
needed for
quality control
and delicate
seafood
handling.
• Associations such as
National Fishworkers’
Forum (NFF), Seafood
Exporters Association
of India (SEAI), etc.
• NGOs such as Dakshin
Foundation, MSSRF
(M.S. Swaminathan
Research Foundation),
etc.
34 A Journey Of Laundry Business From Dhobi Ghats To Online Marketplace – Entrepreneur (2016)
35 India has robust regulatory framework for seafood units: Commerce min – Business Standard (2024) AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 44
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
52 Others
Repair
technician
Repairs consumer
electronics,
appliances or
machinery.
Diagnostic tools,
smart devices
and tech support
platforms augment
work. Demand such
asly to rise with
tech proliferation;
role must evolve
with skills to keep
pace with advancing
technologies.
0-1%
36
Medium impact
as the majority
is an informal
workforce, but
demand for
repair services
provides job
security.
Medium
feasibility
as AI-based
diagnostics
and predictive
maintenance
improve
efficiency but
require skilled
oversight.
• Skill council or
associations such
as Electronics
Sector Skills Council
of India (ESSCI),
Consumer Electronics
and Appliances
Manufacturers
Association (CEAMA),
etc.
• NGOs such as Don
Bosco Tech Society,
TNS India Foundation,
etc.
53 Others
Ceramic kiln
operator
Manages high-
temperature kilns
for firing pottery,
tiles and ceramics.
While automated
kilns improve
precision and energy
efficiency, the
role still demands
human control
for temperature
regulation, loading
and quality checks in
artisanal and small-
scale production.
0-1%
37
High impact
as majority of
workers i.e.
kiln operators
face high job
displacement
risks due to
automation,
sustainability
regulations and
energy-efficient
manufacturing
processes.
Medium
feasibility
as AI-driven
temperature
control,
automated kiln
monitoring
and predictive
maintenance
enhance
efficiency, but
manual material
handling and
supervision
remain essential.
• Associations such
as Khadi and Village
Industries Commission
(KVIC), All India
Pottery Manufacturers
Association, etc.
• NGOs such as
Gramodaya Sangh,
Dastkar, etc.
36 Home Appliances Repair & Services in Gurgaon
37 Sector Detail – Ceramics – UNIDO 45 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
# Sector Persona name Description
Percentage of
total population*
Ability to
impact
Adoption
feasibility
Illustrative organisations
54 Others Tour guides
Leads domestic
and foreign tourists
through heritage
sites, natural
landscapes or urban
tours; interprets
history, culture and
local context. The
role is seasonal and
heavily dependent
on language,
storytelling and
interpersonal skills.
0-1%
5
Medium
impact as AR
navigation, AI
audio guides
and digital
ticketing
reduce
dependency
on in-person
guides.
Human-guided
experiences
still valued for
personalisation.
Medium
feasibility with
gradual tech
adoption via
mobile-based
tour platforms,
AI translation
tools and digital
storytelling
apps, though it
varies by region
and digital
comfort.
• Associations such
as Tourist Guides
Federation of India
(TGFI), Indian
Association of Tour
Operators (IATO) etc.
55 Others
Textile
workers
Textile workers,
including handloom
weavers, produce,
stitch and finish
fabrics using manual
or semi-mechanised
methods, often in
home-based or small
informal units. Many
remain artisanal due
to heritage value
and limited access
to automation.
0-1%
5 38
Medium impact
as the majority
are part of
the informal
workforce, but
government
schemes/
NGOs/SHGs
support
livelihood
sustainability.
Medium
feasibility as AI-
powered textile
machinery
is replacing
manual weaving,
though heritage
industries still
rely on artisanal
skills.
• Skill council or
associations such
as Apparel Made-
Ups and Home
Furnishing Sector Skill
Council (AMHSSC),
National Federation
of Handloom and
Handicraft Workers
(NFHHW), etc.
• NGOs such as
SelfEmployed
Women’s Association
(SEWA), Women
Weave, etc.
*Based on numbers published in the cited reports or articles
38 Handloom Weavers – Ministry of Textiles AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 46
Appendix B:
Challenges identified through deep dives into eight representative personas, reflecting
broader patterns across the informal workforce
1. Cultivators
Pain point Description
Land fragmentation and
small holdings
India’s average operational holding size was just 1.08 ha in 2015–16, with 86.08 percent of holdings
classified as small or marginal (<2 ha) according to the All India Agricultural Census 2015–2016.
This fragmentation prevents farmers from achieving economies of scale, makes ownership of
modern machinery uneconomical and traps cultivators in labour-intensive low-yield practices.
Low and volatile farm
incomes
The 77th NSSO Situation Assessment Survey (2018–2019) reported an average monthly income
of INR 10,218 for agricultural households, up from INR 6,426 in 2012–2013. Notably, 37 percent of
this came from crop cultivation (INR 3,798), with the rest from wages (INR 4,063), animal farming
(INR 1,582) and other sources, highlighting that cultivation alone does not provide a stable
livelihood.
Widespread indebtedness
In 2018–2019, over 50.2 percent of agricultural households were indebted, with an average
outstanding loan of INR 74,121, a 58 percent increase from 2012–2013. Notably, 20.5 percent of
this borrowing was from informal moneylenders (at 24–36 percent interest) compared with 69.6
percent from banks, indicating severe financial stress and reliance on high-cost credit.
Limited market access and
price realisation
Field studies show that only 23–26 percent of cultivators are aware of the Minimum Support Price
(MSP) for their crops and less than 20 percent can identify procurement agencies for wheat or
paddy. This lack of awareness undermines bargaining power and often forces farmers to sell at
local distress prices.
Infrastructure deficit and
post-harvest losses
Despite irrigation schemes, only 55 percent of gross cropped area was irrigated in 2020–2021.
Cold chain capacity is underbuilt (≈31.8 Mt vs. a needed 61 Mt) and only 250+ pack houses
exist versus the 70,000 required, leading to post-harvest losses of 5.5 percent (69 Mt), worth an
estimated INR 1.5 lakh crore. Mechanisation covers just 47 percent of farm operations with farm
power at 2.5 kW/ha.
Technology and extension
gaps
Only 24 percent of rural households use the internet, limiting access to market and weather
information. In Kharif 2018–2019, just 49 percent of agricultural households received any technical
advice and formal extension services were directly reached by less than 10 percent of cultivators.
Climate vulnerability
Over 60 percent of India’s farmland is rain-fed, exposing cultivators to monsoon variability and
extreme weather. Rising temperatures are projected to reduce agricultural labour capacity by
30–40 percent, shortening working hours and delaying critical operations.
Social and gender barriers
Women own only 13.9 percent of operational landholdings and control 11.6 percent of farmland
despite comprising a majority of the field workforce in many regions. Female cultivators earn
roughly 69 percent of male daily wages (INR 287 vs. INR 416), reflecting a persistent 31 percent
gender pay gap. Among Scheduled Castes, the Land Access Index is just 0.45, signalling deep
caste-based inequities. 47 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
2. Kirana store workers
Pain point Description
Financial fragility and low
margins
Typical kirana stores operate on 3–5 percent gross margins on FMCG products. This low margin
leaves little buffer for fluctuations in supplier prices, rent or utilities. Most stores depend on daily
sales to fund reorders and meet overheads; any sales dip (e.g. due to holidays or local events)
can trigger cash-flow shortfalls, delaying wage payments to staff and forcing owners to take
expensive informal credit.
Excessive work hours and
low-value tasks
With no back-office help, storekeepers and staff routinely work 12–14 hours a day seven days a
week. A recent survey of field staff in retail found they spend 45 percent of their workweek (≈18
hours) on low-value tasks, manual record-keeping, debt follow-ups and reconciliations, leading to
burnout and reduced time for customer engagement.
Lack of formal retail
training
Over 98 percent of kirana outlets are run single-handedly by owner-operators with little to no
formal retail management or customer service training. This skills gap hampers efficient store
layout, upselling and the adoption of new digital tools.
Poor inventory visibility
and stockouts
Manual stock-takes lead to frequent stockouts of fast-moving items and overstocking of slow-
moving perishables. A study reports 60 percent of kiranas lack any systematic inventory control,
resulting in 10–15 percent lost sales and higher spoilage costs.
Cash-only transactions
and security risks
Around 80 percent of transactions at neighbourhood kiranas remain cash-based, exposing
workers to theft risk, time-consuming cash reconciliation and customer reluctance for large
purchases.
Competition from quick-
commerce platforms
The rise of online instant delivery apps has slashed neighbourhood footfall by 15–20 percent
in metros, with an estimated 200,000 kiranas closing in the past year due to quick-commerce
pressure. Such rapid-delivery players have eroded kirana footfall, with some stores reporting a
25–30 percent drop in business compared to pre-COVID levels, threatening livelihoods of store
workers.
3. Unorganised educators
Pain point Description
Low and irregular wages

Income fluctuates with exam seasons, holidays and student dropouts. Many tutors struggle to
maintain a steady student base, especially in areas with high competition or low demand.
There is no wage protection or standard fee structure; rates are negotiated individually and can
be very low, especially for new or less-experienced tutors.
Most payments are made in cash, with no documentation. This excludes tutors from formal
benefits such as insurance, paid leave or pension and income often goes unreported for tax and
credit purposes.
Many home tutors, operating in the informal sector, lack access to formal banking services,
making it challenging to save securely, obtain credit or invest in their tutoring services.
Job insecurity and lack of
professional recognition

Tutors are typically hired informally, with no written agreements, making them vulnerable to
arbitrary termination or payment disputes.
As they operate independently and without school affiliation, tutors lack access to grievance
redressal, professional development or legal support.
Without formal teaching degrees (e.g. B.Ed.) or school positions, these educators often face
scepticism from parents and students regarding their credibility.
Home tutors often lack formal certifications or recognition, leading to challenges in establishing
credibility and commanding fair compensation. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 48
Difficulty in student
acquisition and retention
The growing popularity of home tuition means more people are entering the field, making it
harder to secure and retain students, especially in urban areas.
Tutors are limited by their locality, as most parents prefer someone nearby for convenience and
safety, restricting the market size.
Without formal marketing channels, most tutors rely on personal networks and referrals, which
can be unreliable.
Many home tutors lack an online presence or digital marketing skills, restricting their ability to
reach a broader student base.
Parental interference and
student motivation
Excessively involved parents may micromanage sessions, interrupt lessons or set unrealistic
expectations which can lead to stress and conflict for tutors.
Many students view home tuitions as an extra burden, leading to a lack of motivation,
absenteeism or disruptive behaviour, which the tutor must manage alone.
Lack of access to skill
development and training
Most home tutors do not have access to structured training or upskilling, making it hard to
improve teaching methods, classroom management or subject expertise.
Many tutors, especially older or less-educated ones, struggle to adapt to new teaching
technologies, online resources or hybrid models.
4. Tour guides
Pain point Description
Low and irregular wages
Tour guides in India are heavily dependent on the tourism calendar, with most of their earnings
concentrated in peak months (October–March). During off-seasons, such as monsoons or
extreme summers, there is virtually no demand, leading to several months with zero income. This
seasonality makes long-term financial planning nearly impossible, with many guides forced to
take up short-term odd jobs or borrow money to survive the lean months. The unpredictability of
tourism due to external shocks (pandemics, geopolitical tensions, natural disasters) adds another
layer of uncertainty to their income stability.
The salary range for Indian tour guides remains well below industry standards seen in other
skilled service jobs. Most entry-level guides earn INR 15,000–INR 25,000 per month, while those
with years of experience or foreign language proficiency may earn up to INR 50,000 per month
in high-tourism zones. However, these figures are not guaranteed and are subject to fluctuations
based on demand and tourist reviews. The absence of base pay, commission-only models and
operator-controlled pricing structures prevent tour guides from earning what their expertise
merits.
The employment model is largely unstructured and gig-based, with most guides not on fixed
contracts. They rely on being handpicked for individual assignments by operators or walk-in
tourists. On days with low footfall, especially in less commercial tourist spots, many guides do
not get selected at all. This overreliance on third-party discretion leads to inconsistent earnings,
undermines professional dignity and often results in long idle hours without remuneration.
Most earnings continue to be in cash or via informal digital transfers, which leaves no paper trail
or income history. This lack of documentation affects eligibility for financial products such as
loans, credit cards and insurance. Additionally, in case of payment disputes or cancellations by
tourists, there is no legal protection or grievance redressal available, especially when working
outside of established tour operators or agencies. This deeply entrenched informality perpetuates
economic invisibility.
No minimum wage notification is given for the tour guide profession under state or central labour
codes. This results in unregulated pricing, especially for freelance guides who lack institutional
backing. Tourists often negotiate rates based on perceived value, leading to guides accepting
unreasonably low fees just to secure work. The absence of rate cards or sector norms also leads
to undercutting among peers, further driving down earnings in the sector.
Migration and geographic
mobility challenges
To find work, guides often migrate from rural or Tier 2 cities to tourism hotspots such as Delhi,
Jaipur, Agra and Goa. This leads to higher living costs, unstable housing and disrupted family life.
The pandemic forced many to return to their hometowns, where opportunities are even scarcer.
Guides from states with low tourist footfall (such as Bihar, Chhattisgarh or Odisha) must compete
in overcrowded hubs, where both licensed and unlicensed guides vie for limited work. The
absence of a local tourism ecosystem forces migration and increases competition. 49 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Exclusion from formal
financial systems
Guides, often self-employed or working informally, lack the employment proof or regular bank
statements required for loans, housing finance or small business credit lines. This exclusion makes
it difficult to invest in upskilling or weather periods of low income.
Most guides do not fall under formal social insurance schemes such as Employers’ Provident
Fund Organisation (EPFO) or Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), nor are they
automatically covered by government insurance programmes. Unless they self-enrol (which few
do), they remain unprotected in case of illness, accident or old age.
Inadequate social
protection
Tour guides are not automatically registered under government social security schemes such as
PM Shram Yogi Maandhan or Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. Self-enrolment is rare due
to lack of awareness and bureaucratic hurdles. There is no unemployment allowance, on-the-job
life insurance or other safety net.
During COVID-19, most guides, despite being government-licensed, were excluded from major
relief packages. Many reported no income for over 18 months and received little to no direct
support from state or central governments, forcing them to change professions or take up odd
jobs.
Job insecurity
Frequent changes in licensing rules such as new eligibility criteria, online certifications or
language-specific mandates leave guides uncertain about the future of their licenses. This
instability is compounded by the lack of guaranteed assignments, even for experienced guides.
Unlicensed local guides and free audio guide apps now compete directly with professional
guides, especially at low-cost monuments and heritage sites. Digitisation and self-guided tours
have further eroded the demand for traditional guiding services.
Even government-certified guides must compete for a limited number of foreign-language tour
opportunities, often dependent on travel agents or inbound tour operators who may switch
vendors frequently. There is no job security and many guides are forced to seek alternative
livelihoods.
Limited skill development
and training opportunities
Tour guide training in India lacks a unified national standard, resulting in fragmented programmes
with varying quality and content across regions. While some states and organisations offer short-
term courses, comprehensive and standardised training remains limited. This inconsistency affects
the skill levels of guides and their ability to meet evolving tourist expectations. For example,
recent regional training programmes include modules on cultural sensitivity, guiding techniques,
history, heritage and language skills, but access and quality vary widely.
Many existing training programmes emphasise traditional knowledge of history and culture but
often lack adequate focus on modern skills such as foreign language proficiency, digital literacy,
customer engagement and safety protocols. This gap leaves guides underprepared for diverse
tourist needs and emerging trends such as virtual tours or tech-enabled guiding. For instance, the
Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF) Certification Programme offers online, self-paced learning
to address some of these gaps, but uptake and awareness remain limited.
Once certified, many guides have few formal opportunities for ongoing skill enhancement
or specialisation in niche tourism sectors (e.g. art tours, eco-tourism). Continuous training
programmes are sparse, limiting guides’ ability to update their skills or adapt to changing market
demands. New initiatives such as The Art Tour Guides Training Programme aim to fill this gap by
offering specialised modules on art history and cultural institutions, but such programmes are still
emerging.
5. Home healthcare aides
Pain point Description
Low and irregular wages
Many home healthcare workers, especially attendants and aides, earn well below state-mandated
minimum wages, often INR 8,000–INR 15,000 per month in cities. This is compounded by a
drastic pay gap between caregivers and nurses and between nurses and doctors reflecting deep
class and gender inequalities.
Agencies commonly retain 30–50 percent of client fees, further reducing take-home pay and
discouraging skilled professionals from entering or staying in the sector.
Homecare workers often face unpredictable workloads, with income fluctuating based on patient
demand. Payments may be delayed or withheld, especially for those hired informally or on a per-
assignment basis.
Workers regularly perform long shifts (12–16 hours) without overtime pay or benefits such as paid
leave, health insurance or retirement security. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 50
Migration and geographic
mobility challenges
Most skilled homecare workers cluster in cities, leaving rural and remote areas underserved. This
forces families in these regions to rely on underqualified or informal workers.
Workers who migrate for better pay face language and cultural barriers, reducing care quality and
increasing attrition.
Exclusion from formal
financial systems
Many homecare workers lack bank accounts, relying on cash payments that are vulnerable to
theft and financial exclusion.
Informal status and irregular income prevent access to loans, insurance or pension schemes,
making workers financially vulnerable during emergencies.
For women in particular, home-based care work often mirrors unpaid domestic responsibilities,
further undermining recognition, fair compensation and pathways to formal employment.
Inadequate social
protection

Most homecare workers are not covered by health insurance, paid leave or maternity benefits,
leaving them financially exposed during illness or emergencies.
Job loss or patient death leaves workers without any safety net or unemployment allowance.
Workers, especially women, are vulnerable to harassment or abuse from patients or their families,
with little institutional support or legal protection.
Job insecurity
Most homecare workers are hired verbally or on informal contracts, enabling arbitrary termination
and exclusion from social security benefits.
Families often hire cheaper, unskilled attendants, increasing job insecurity for trained workers.
There is little recourse for wage theft, harassment or unfair dismissal, as the sector lacks robust
regulatory oversight.
Many are labeled “helpers” or “volunteers,” justifying low pay and denying professional
recognition.
Limited skill development
and training opportunities
Attendants rarely have access to regular upskilling or continuing education, limiting their ability to
keep up with new medical practices and technology.
Many workers struggle to use new home health monitoring systems, telemedicine tools or
electronic health records, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Workplace safety and
harassment risks
Workers face physical hazards, including lifting patients, exposure to infectious diseases and lack
of personal protective equipment (PPE) especially during pandemics.
The emotional burden of caring for critically ill or elderly patients, combined with long hours and
a lack of support, leads to fatigue, stress and burnout.
Homecare workers, particularly women, are vulnerable to harassment or abuse from patients or
their families, with little institutional support or legal protection.
Regulatory and systemic
challenges
The homecare sector remains largely unregulated, with no uniform government norms or
accreditation for workers or agencies, resulting in inconsistent service quality and confusion
about roles and responsibilities.
Most homecare services are not covered by insurance, limiting patient access and financial
sustainability for providers.
Workers often face shortages of medical supplies, equipment and medicines and lack timely
access to emergency services, especially outside major cities.
6. Artisans
Pain point Description
Low wages and job
instability

Artisans often receive meagre wages, making it difficult to sustain their livelihoods and forcing
many to abandon traditional crafts for other work.
Seasonal demand and lack of stable work opportunities lead to persistent job insecurity and
financial vulnerability among artisan families.
Market access and
middlemen dependence
Most artisans have limited access to domestic and international markets, relying on local fairs or
middlemen who take a large share of profits.
Fragmented supply chains and weak connections with buyers prevent artisans from scaling up
and earning fair value for their products. 51 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Digital and business skills
gap
Many artisans, especially in rural areas, lack digital literacy, making it hard to use e-commerce or
social media for marketing and sales.
Limited knowledge of business management, branding and market trends restricts their ability to
adapt to changing consumer preferences.
Raw material and
infrastructure constraints
Artisans face difficulty in procuring quality raw materials at reasonable prices, often due to low
bargaining power and lack of aggregation.
Poor infrastructure, such as inadequate workspaces, storage and transport, hampers production
quality and timely delivery.
Skills upgradation and
technology adoption
Outdated production methods and a lack of access to modern tools or training reduce
productivity and product quality.
Artisans struggle to integrate traditional skills with modern designs and consumer needs, risking
the loss of cultural heritage.
Financial exclusion and
credit access
Most artisans lack access to affordable credit, forcing them to borrow from moneylenders at high
interest rates, which erodes their earnings.
Low financial literacy and the absence of formal business registration further restrict their ability
to benefit from government schemes.
Social stigma and
declining recognition
Crafts are often perceived as inferior or backwards, leading to declining social status and
discouraging younger generations from continuing these traditions.
The fading recognition of cultural heritage threatens the survival of many traditional crafts.
Export barriers and
regulatory hurdles
Artisans face challenges in meeting international quality standards, certifications and compliance
requirements, limiting their global market reach.
Intellectual property issues and a lack of support for protecting traditional designs further
disadvantage artisans in export markets.
7. Textile workers
Pain point Description
Raw material and supply
chain constraints
Textile workers face rising and unpredictable prices for cotton, polyester and viscose, driven by
global supply chain disruptions, domestic tariffs and quality control restrictions-making Indian
textiles less competitive internationally.
Import duties on cotton and man-made fibers (MMF), meant to protect farmers, have instead
raised input costs for textile workers, while competitors such as Bangladesh and Vietnam enjoy
cheaper, duty-free access to raw materials.
Skills gap and labour
shortages
Despite a large workforce, there is a persistent shortage of workers trained in advanced textile
manufacturing, technical textiles and modern machinery, limiting productivity and innovation.
The sector faces high attrition rates (around 10 percent) and instability due to reliance on migrant
labour, especially in hubs such as Tirupur, leading to production disruptions and increased training
costs.
Low wages and job
insecurity
Textile workers, including handloom weavers, often earn wages below subsistence levels, with
seasonal demand and lack of formal contracts creating chronic job insecurity.
A large proportion of workers remain in the informal sector, lacking social security, health benefits
and consistent employment, especially in small and medium enterprises (MSME)-dominated
clusters.
Infrastructure and
technology deficits
Many textile units use obsolete machinery and lack access to modern technology, resulting in
lower efficiency and product quality; infrastructure gaps in logistics, electricity and water further
hamper productivity.
MSMEs, where most textile workers are employed, struggle to access affordable credit for
modernisation and expansion, limiting their ability to compete globally.
Competitive pressure and
export challenges
Countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam outcompete India in textiles due to lower labour costs,
better trade agreements and more integrated supply chains, threatening job security for Indian
textile workers
Despite being a top exporter, India’s textile exports have stagnated or declined. Complex customs
procedures and a lack of free trade agreements (FTAs) further limit market access. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 52
Technological disruption
and digital divide
Many textile workers, especially in traditional and rural segments, lack digital literacy and access
to e-commerce, limiting their ability to reach new markets and adapt to industry shifts.
The rise of automation and AI in textile manufacturing threatens low-skilled jobs, requiring urgent
upskilling and reskilling of the workforce.
Gender and social
inequities
Women constitute a large portion of the textile workforce but often receive lower wages, have
less job security and are underrepresented in supervisory and decision-making roles.
Most textile workers lack access to health insurance, pension schemes and other social
protections, increasing their vulnerability to economic shocks.
Health, safety and working
conditions
Workers face exposure to dust, chemicals and repetitive strain injuries, with inadequate
enforcement of workplace safety regulations in many units.
Basic amenities such as clean drinking water, sanitation and safe housing are often missing,
especially for migrant and contract workers.
8. Utility trade workers
Pain pointDescription
Low and irregular wages
Earnings for informal carpenters, plumbers and electricians are often low, unstable and paid in
cash. Unlike formal jobs with monthly salaries, these workers’ incomes depend on the availability
of work each day. Many spend hours waiting at bazaars or street corners, hoping to get picked for
a job. On lean days, they earn nothing. Even when work is available, wages can be modest.
Wage payments are uncertain. Being informal, these jobs lack legal wage protections or timely
payment guarantees. It is not uncommon for workers to be underpaid or paid late by contractors.
As one journalist noted, informal workers often have no “guarantee of getting paid fairly and
on time.” The lack of standardised rates means some accept whatever they can get, especially
migrants desperate for work. Gender pay gaps also exist, in the rare cases where women engage
in these trades, they may be offered lower pay due to bias or assigned only helper roles.
Large cities sometimes offer higher nominal wages than villages, but once adjusted for cost of
living, real incomes can be meagre. For example, an electrician in Delhi with formal Industrial
Training Institute (ITI) training earned about INR 20,000 per month, yet still struggled to make
ends meet for a family of five in the city. By contrast, a self-taught electrician in a Tier-3 town
might earn only half as much, but if living costs are low and he has supplementary income (e.g.
small farming), the strain could be similar. Overall, income insecurity remains a defining pain
point: even during good months the earnings barely provide a “guzara” (basic livelihood) and
there is little cushion for bad months. 53 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Migration and geographic
mobility challenges
Migration is a double-edged sword for these workers. On one hand, migrating from rural to
urban areas (or from poorer regions to wealthier ones) is often a necessity to find work that
pays enough. A large portion of carpenters, plumbers and electricians in Tier-1 cities are inter-
state migrants. For instance, plumbers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, or electricians from Odisha,
commonly seek work in Delhi and Mumbai’s booming construction and housing market. This
rural–urban migration is driven by wage differentials: a skilled plumber might earn only INR 300 a
day in his village but could make twice that in a city.
Migrant workers often live away from their families for long periods. They may reside in group
dorms or squatter settlements under harsh conditions (as noted, many live in urban slums near
project sites). The separation from family and community support can affect mental well-being.
Those who bring families face other issues like lack of schooling for children or insecure living
environments.
Migrants are frequently more vulnerable to exploitation. Far from their home area, with limited
local networks, they may accept poorer terms. Contractors sometimes prefer hiring migrants for
this reason. A case study in Delhi’s satellite towns revealed migrant informal workers toiled for
“low-productivity, low-paying jobs”, often below the legal minimum wage. Language barriers can
further marginalise them in unfamiliar cities.
Migrants often follow the ebb and flow of construction seasons. Many return to their villages
during agricultural seasons or festivals and then come back to cities. This circular migration
means continuity of work is broken and each cycle, they must often hunt for new employment
again. During crisis (such as the COVID-19 lockdown), migrants were left stranded without
income, highlighting their precarious position.
Migration also flows in an alternative route for some; a small number of highly skilled tradesmen
seek opportunities abroad (for example, Indian electricians and plumbers working in Gulf
countries). Such international migration can yield much higher earnings, though it is only
accessible to those with formal certifications or networks. Within India, geographic mobility
is primarily a survival strategy. Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns often lose their best skilled workers
to metros, leading to local shortages. Meanwhile, metros gain labour but struggle to provide
adequate housing and services to migrant workers. Thus, migration presents a complex challenge:
it is necessary for livelihoods yet fraught with difficulties at both origin and destination.
Exclusion from formal
financial systems
Informal workers historically have had limited access to formal financial services such as banking,
credit or insurance. Many utility trade workers are paid in cash and manage finances within
the informal economy. Access to bank accounts has improved recently (especially after the
government’s Jan Dhan Yojana financial inclusion drive), but active usage remains an issue. In the
past, a day labourer might not even have a bank account; now, a majority do on paper, yet they
often withdraw all funds immediately and operate in cash, meaning they still lack savings or credit
history. Until a few years ago, cash was king for these transactions – an estimate from 2016 noted
that about 80 percent of clients paid informal handymen in cash. This made workers vulnerable
during events such as demonetisation (sudden cash shortages), many saw work dry up when
clients had no cash to pay. Workers with no bank linkage had no buffer.
Most informal carpenters or plumbers cannot easily get a bank loan or formal credit line. Lacking
collateral or proof of steady income, they rely on informal lenders or community networks if
they need money (for example, to buy new tools or to cover a health emergency). Interest rates
in these informal loans can be exorbitant, trapping them in debt. They are largely outside the
ambit of institutional finance such as housing loans or business loans, which stifles any chance to
expand their work (e.g. setting up a small workshop). AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 54
Inadequate social
protection
There is no pension for informal workers by default. Though the government offers the Atal
Pension Yojana (a voluntary contributory pension) and other schemes, enrolment among daily-
wage tradesmen is very low due to limited awareness or ability to contribute regularly. Thus, older
carpenters or electricians often must keep working until physically incapable or depend on family
support.
Aside from the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme which only covers those on registered
contracts (a minority of these workers), most have no health insurance. The government’s
Ayushman Bharat programme (which provides hospital coverage for poor families) might cover
some, but many migrant workers are not documented in the locale to avail it or the specific
occupational diseases/injuries they face may not be addressed fully. High out-of-pocket medical
costs push many into debt whenever a serious injury or illness strikes.
As discussed, injuries on the job are common, but compensation is rare. There are Building and
Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Welfare Boards in each state (under a 1996 Act) meant
to register construction workers (including carpenters, masons, etc.) and provide benefits such
as accident coverage and scholarships for children. In practice, however, registration rates are
low and many plumbers/electricians (especially those doing repair work, not big projects) are
unaware or fall outside the definition. Enforcement of any mandatory benefits is weak in the
informal segment.
The informal sector had a law in 2008 for social security and more recently, the Code on Social
Security 2020 aims to extend certain benefits to gig and informal workers. But on the ground,
these have yet to tangibly improve the lives of most informal tradespeople. Coverage under
Provident Fund or state welfare schemes is scant. As economists Santosh Mehrotra and K.E.
Raghunathan note, even regular wage workers in informal setups usually “do not receive social
security benefits”.
Job insecurity
Informality inherently means job insecurity. Most carpenters, plumbers and electricians in this
sector work without any written contracts. They are engaged as casual labour or piece-rate
workers. The vast majority (over 80 percent) of construction trade workers are employed as
casual labourers rather than regular salaried staff. This status leaves them vulnerable to sudden
unemployment, when a project ends or demand dips, they have no layoff benefits or notice
period. For instance, an electrician working through a contractor for a large firm has no guarantee
of continued work beyond the current project.
Unlike formal employees, informal trade workers do not enjoy paid leave, retirement security
or steady tenure. They typically work until their bodies give up, since there is no concept of
retirement with a pension in informal work. While formal sector workers may retire at 60 with
some gratuity or provident fund, an informal carpenter or plumber keeps hustling daily to feed his
family, often into old age. The Periodic Labour Force Survey confirms that only about 9 percent of
Indian workers are in formal jobs with any social security; the rest, including practically all in these
trades, lack such security. As a result, these workers face constant uncertainty about the future.
The aspiration for a stable government job is widespread among skilled tradesmen, precisely
because their current private work is so insecure. One study noted that “wages of skilled workers
in India’s private sector remain so depressed, benefits so dismal and jobs so precarious” that
many dream of escaping informality by securing a government position.
In Tier-1 cities, some experienced tradesmen might find semi-regular engagement (e.g. an
electrician attached to a housing society for maintenance or a carpenter who gets repeat orders
from an interior design firm). However, even these arrangements are often informal and can be
terminated at any time. In smaller towns and rural areas, a portion of these workers are self-
employed own-account workers who rely on their local reputation to get gigs. While being one’s
own boss can be empowering, it still does not guarantee work; they are at the mercy of local
demand and seasonal fluctuations. There is also seasonal insecurity: demand for construction-
related trades tends to slump during monsoons and agricultural peak seasons (when rural
clients have less cash flow or when migrant workers return home for planting/harvest). Across
all geographies and trades, the lack of an enforceable contract or steady employer makes job
security a chronic pain point. 55 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Limited skill development
and training opportunities
Despite the skill-centric nature of their work, most informal carpenters, plumbers and electricians
have little formal training. They typically learn through apprenticeships or on-the-job experience,
which can result in uneven skill quality and limited advancement. Official data underscores
this gap: only about 2–5 percent of India’s workforce has received formal vocational training,
compared to over 50–90 percent in countries such as the USA, Germany or South Korea. In other
words, most Indian tradespeople are “informally trained” or self-taught.
Many workers lack up-to-date technical knowledge (e.g. a plumber might not know the latest
piping standards, an electrician may not be certified for complex wiring). A skills audit once found
that a third of trained plumbers in India could not handle modern plumbing tasks, highlighting the
deficits in training quality. Poor training can also lead to safety risks due to improper techniques.
Without certification or formal credentials, informal workers struggle to command higher wages
or get hired by large contractors who prefer certified labour. This traps them in low-paying, small-
scale jobs. As one commentary noted, “barely 5 percent of the workforce has formal vocational
skills” and this lack of certified skills makes these jobs less aspirational and keeps earnings low.
Access to skill development programmes is uneven. Tier-1 cities host more ITIs and private
vocational centres, so young people there (or migrants who move there) have a better chance of
finding training courses. In contrast, many rural areas and Tier-3 towns have few training facilities;
a talented youth in a village might have no option but to learn informally from a relative or local
tradesman. Even when government mobile training camps exist, awareness and attendance can
be low.
Appendix C:
Out of 490 million informal workers, the pool was narrowed down to 55 personas using specific
filtration criteria outlined below.
• Population coverage: Prioritising personas representing significant portions of the workforce.
• Large sectoral alignment: Excluding sectors already addressed by parallel workstreams.
• Ability to Impact: Refers to the potential for meaningful improvement in livelihoods by
prioritizing:
• Degree of vulnerability – Focusing on personas facing high disruption risks from
automation and informality.
• Adoption feasibility – Selecting personas where AI and frontier technologies can feasibly
enhance work with minimal role displacement.
Eventually, 8 representative personas were selected in consultation with the Expert Council (EC). AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 56
Figure 9: Persona prioritisation criteria
POPULATION COVERAGE
490 Million+
LARGER SECTORAL
ALIGNMENT
ABILITY TO
IMPACT
8 PERSONAS
Populationcoverage:Prioritized
personasthatconstitute>=0.5percentof
thetotaltradeworkforcepopulation
consideredforthisstudy(~490million)
Largersectoralalignment:Workers
coveredunderothermajorFTH
workstreamsareexcluded.
Abilitytoimpact:Moreformalized
workersegmentswithlower
vulnerabilityandhighertech
feasibilityareexcludedduetolimited
additionalimpact.
Personas finalized based on EC consultations and strategic importance
Home
healthcare
aides
Artisans
Tour guides
Textile workersCultivators
Unorganized
educators
Utility trade
workers
Kirana store
workers
Appendix D:
Personas finalised based on Expert Council (EC) consultations and strategic importance
An initial pool of 20 personas was shortlisted from an extended list of 55, using four key dimensions:
population size, sectoral alignment, potential for impact and strategic relevance. This set
was further refined to 13 by consolidating personas with sector overlaps and shared contextual
characteristics. Moreover, additional factors such as female workforce participation, potential for
social impact, alignment with emerging sectors, demographic relevance and representation of
niche occupations were applied to finalise the 8 personas. The final list was validated and endorsed
by the Expert Council (EC). The key considerations influencing the inclusion of each persona are
elaborated below.
Large workforce segments such as cultivators (farmers), artisans, utility trade workers and
kirana store workers were prioritised due to their population size, potential impact and high
adoption feasibility. Textile workers were included due to the sector’s strategic significance and its
predominantly female workforce, with women accounting for nearly 70 percent of handloom sector
39
.
Unorganised educators were selected for the critical social impact they have on communities while
tour guides were included to represent niche occupations aligned with India’s growing presence in
the global tourism landscape.
39 Press Information Bureau - 25,46,285 women working in handloom sector of textiles industry (2022) 57 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Another critical domain identified is the care economy, which includes essential caregiving
activities such as childcare, elder care, disability support and domestic work, all foundational to
individual and societal well-being. Shaped by India’s shifting demographic profile, the care sector
is undergoing significant transformation.Within this, home healthcare aides represent a rapidly
expanding segment, driven by evolving post-pandemic service models and growing demand for
in-home medical and supportive care. Transforming this segment is critical to expanding care
infrastructure, creating employment pathways including the potential for international deployment
of caregiving expertise and increasing female participation in the labour.
Together, these eight personas were selected to ensure representation across diverse sectors of the
informal workforce in India.
POPULATION COVERAGE
490 Million+
LARGER SECTORAL
ALIGNMENT
ABILITY TO
IMPACT
8 PERSONAS
Populationcoverage:Prioritized
personasthatconstitute>=0.5percentof
thetotaltradeworkforcepopulation
consideredforthisstudy(~490million)
Largersectoralalignment:Workers
coveredunderothermajorFTH
workstreamsareexcluded.
Abilitytoimpact:Moreformalized
workersegmentswithlower
vulnerabilityandhighertech
feasibilityareexcludedduetolimited
additionalimpact.
Personas finalized based on EC consultations and strategic importance
Home
healthcare
aides
Artisans
Tour guides
Textile workersCultivators
Unorganized
educators
Utility trade
workers
Kirana store
workers
Appendix E:
In addition to the Expert Council, We also consulted the below Stakeholders:
Other Stakeholders
• Sattva Consulting – Social impact consulting and implementation partner
• Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions – Technology-led platform for welfare access
• Swades Foundation – Rural development organisation focused on holistic empowerment
• Piramal Foundation – Philanthropic arm of Piramal Group driving scalable solutions for
public health, education and social sector transformation in underserved communities AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 58
Appendix F:
Comprehensive research framework to decode informal workforce dynamics
This study employs a multi-pronged, mixed-methods approach (as illustrated in Figure 10) that
integrates rigorous secondary research with in-depth primary field engagement. Working in
partnership with NITI Aayog, an Expert Council and leading NGOs, the methodology is designed to
uncover actionable insights and policy recommendations on how AI and frontier technologies can
accelerate the societal development of India’s informal trade workforce.
Figure 10: Research approach and methodology
Literature Review &
Theoretical Framing
Persona-based Analysis
Segmented 490 million
informal workers into 55
personas to design targeted
tech solutions and policy
actionsaligned with Viksit
Bharat 2047.
Primary Data Collection
Executed a mixed-method
study with surveys and
interviews across
stakeholders to capture data
and insights on tech adoption
and workforce challenges
Stakeholder Engagement
Engaged policymakers,
industry leaders, and
grassroots representatives to
validate findings and gather
insights on barriers to AI
Adoption, and policy measures
for inclusion.
Reviewed global and India-
specific research on frontier
technologies to identify key
adoption factors and inform
primary research design 59 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
Appendix G:
Figure 11: Potential recommendations to flagship schemes
e-Shram
•Enable
interoperability
with VCs to
create a unified,
trusted worker
profile
•Provide real-
time benefit
matching alerts
and auto-fill
applications
basis verified
data from
trusted sources
•Introduce
consent-based
data sharing to
give workers
control over
their personal
data and
improve trust
•Integrate digital
IDs and smart
contracts to create
tamper-proof
worker records,
automate loan
eligibility checks,
and build credit
histories, reducing
loan rejections.
•Issue verifiable
digital skill
certificates linked
to e-Shramto
enable portable,
trusted profiles
•Expand the
scheme to include
emerging digital
trades (e.g., 3D
printing) to reflect
evolving informal
work
•Auto-filling
registration forms
with verified data
from trusted
sources such VCs,
Aadhaar and e-
Shram
•Enable integration
with market
platforms such as
ONDC, GeMauto-
generating micro
storefronts for
UDYAM verified
sellers
•Implement AI
powered local
demand matching
engine and alert
workers about
local gigs, orders,
or bulk buying
schemes
•Issue
interoperable,
DLT -based skill
credentials to
provide portable
proof of training.
•Deploy adaptive
learning
pathways to
match with local
needs and
individual
learning.
•Embed immersive
learning modules
for hands-on
training.
•Use smart
contracts to track
and certify
apprenticeships
Skill India
Digital Hub
Enable context-aware smart interfaces and vernacular AI assistants to help low-literacy workers
navigate portals/ websites independently
PM Vishwakarma
YojnaUDYAM Assist
Platform
Apart from the flagship schemes mentioned above, a wide range of other government-led schemes
across ministries like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY),
Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), AgriStack etc. are set up to support and empower the informal
workers. For instance, AgriStack is a digital infrastructure initiative led by the Ministry of Agriculture,
designed to provide farmers particularly small and marginal cultivators with access to tailored
advisory, credit, insurance and input services through integrated data platforms. These schemes
can be leveraged as critical enablers and further looked into during the implementation phase. AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 60
NOTES 61 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development
NOTES AI for Inclusive Societal Development | 62 63 | AI for Inclusive Societal Development

Roadmap on AI for Inclusive Societal Development