New Delhi: In a proud moment for India’s civil services and tech leadership, Mr Abhishek Singh, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre, has been named to the prestigious TIME100 AI 2025 list by Time magazine.
Mr Singh currently serves as Director General of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and CEO of the India AI Mission, a flagship government initiative to position India at the forefront of global artificial intelligence (AI) innovation.
Singh’s Role in Driving India’s AI Ambitions
The India AI Mission, approved by the Union Cabinet in March 2024 with an outlay of over $1.2 billion, is a transformative effort aimed at building a world-class AI ecosystem in India. Under Singh’s leadership, the mission has focused on:
- Enhancing compute infrastructure
- Supporting AI startups
- Building domestic AI talent
- Promoting ethical and inclusive AI deployment
The mission has already supported over 30 AI-based applications across sectors including agriculture, health, climate, education, and governance, many of which are aimed at solving real-world challenges such as autism diagnosis, healthcare access, and climate event prediction.
TIME Magazine’s Tribute
Time magazine commended Singh for his visionary leadership and rapid execution, noting:
“After 30 years in India’s civil service, Abhishek Singh finds himself in charge of what’s been dubbed the IndiaAI Mission – a seven-pillar strategy to bring the country to the technological frontier.”
TIME highlighted Singh’s goal to democratize AI access, including his plan to use voice tech for enabling rural citizens to access AI-powered government services via simple toll-free calls. One of his ambitions:
“A farmer should be able to call a toll-free number and ask, ‘What should I do for my crop?’”
Building a Scalable AI Ecosystem
IAS Singh has played a critical role in assembling private and philanthropic partnerships to boost the mission’s reach and agility. He secured 35,000 GPUs for low-cost rental through industry collaborations, and worked with global foundations such as the Gates Foundation and Wadhwani Foundation to strengthen his team.
Despite bureaucratic challenges, Mr Singh emphasized that –
“In my 30-year career, I have not seen a government project moving so fast.”
He is optimistic about India’s progress in AI, particularly as New Delhi is set to host a major global AI conference in 2026, following the 2025 Paris Summit.
Career Highlights
- IAS Batch: 1995, Nagaland cadre
- Current Roles: DG, NIC & CEO, India AI Mission
Education
- Alumnus of IIT Kanpur
- Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard Kennedy School
- Early education from DAV, Ranchi
- National Recognition
The IAS Officers’ Association congratulated Singh on social media platform X, stating-
A proud moment for India.
— IAS Association (@IASassociation) August 28, 2025
Congratulations to Shri Abhishek Singh, @abhish18, #IAS, on being named to TIME100 AI 2025.
The @IndiaAI_Mission, under his leadership is transforming governance, strengthening digital public services, and placing India 🇮🇳firmly on the global stage.… pic.twitter.com/y0HLRnDOUp
“A proud moment for India. Congratulations to Abhishek Singh, @abhish18, IAS, on being named to TIME100 AI 2025. The @IndiaAI_Mission, under his leadership, is transforming governance, strengthening digital public services, and placing India firmly on the global stage.”
