World Economic Forum launches AI Playbook, Sandbox White Paper to boost AI adoption in India

The World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) India, in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (PSA to GOI) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), today unveiled two publications under its AI for India 2030 initiative — the AI Playbook for Agriculture and the AI Playbook for SMEs — alongside a white paper on shaping the AI Sandbox ecosystem.

Developed with support from BCG X, the publications provide actionable frameworks, sectoral roadmaps, and ecosystem models aimed at harnessing AI responsibly, inclusively, and at scale in India.

The AI Playbook for Agriculture, “Future Farming in India,” outlines the IMPACT AI framework, a three-pillar model—Enable, Create, and Deliver—guiding governments, industry, start-ups, and academia in scaling AI solutions for farmers. It prioritises regional languages and leverages existing networks such as Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to provide data-driven advice via SMS, voice apps, and workshops, enhancing productivity, risk mitigation, and market access.

The SME Playbook, “Transforming Small Businesses,” applies the IMPACT AI framework—Awareness, Action, Recognition—to empower India’s 230 million-strong MSME sector. It offers AI experience centres, maturity indexes, curated solution marketplaces, and case studies to improve productivity, credit access, and market reach while fostering peer learning and role models for scaled adoption.

The AI Sandbox White Paper presents a strategic and operational framework to establish secure, controlled environments for testing AI solutions. Sandboxes aim to address critical gaps in data access, model validation, compute infrastructure, and market pathways, ensuring innovation is safe, validated, and scalable.

Prof. Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser, said, “The AI Playbooks show how government, industry, and academia can collaborate to translate innovation into real-world impact, empowering farmers and MSMEs while fostering inclusive growth.”

Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of WEF, added, “These frameworks turn AI potential into action, closing divides and creating a future where technology serves humanity at scale.”

C4IR India plans to focus on building implementation coalitions, establishing impact metrics, and facilitating knowledge exchange to ensure AI adoption benefits India’s economy, communities, and citizens.