UIDAI Chief Set to Lead India’s AI Mission
Saurabh Vijay is set to take additional charge as CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, bringing leadership of two of India’s most important digital infrastructure initiatives under a single administrative framework.
The appointment of Saurabh Vijay IndiaAI Mission follows the reassignment of former IndiaAI Mission CEO Abhishek Singh as Director General of the National Testing Agency, leaving the position vacant amid a broader bureaucratic reshuffle.
Leadership Across Aadhaar and AI Infrastructure
Saurabh Vijay, an IAS officer who assumed charge as CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India in May 2026, will now oversee both the Aadhaar ecosystem and India’s flagship AI infrastructure initiative.
The move places him at the helm of two critical pillars of India’s digital transformation strategy — digital identity infrastructure and artificial intelligence development.
Industry observers believe the combined leadership could help strengthen coordination between digital public infrastructure and emerging AI-driven innovation initiatives.
IndiaAI Mission’s Progress Under Previous Leadership
Under the leadership of Abhishek Singh, the IndiaAI Mission made significant progress in expanding India’s AI infrastructure capabilities.
Key achievements included the activation of approximately 38,000 GPUs and the promotion of shared compute infrastructure aimed at supporting startups, researchers, academic institutions, and innovation-driven enterprises.
The mission has emerged as a central component of India’s strategy to build indigenous AI capabilities and improve access to advanced computational resources.
Kavita Bhatia Continues as COO
Kavita Bhatia will continue to serve as Chief Operating Officer of the IndiaAI Mission.
With more than 24 years of experience in e-governance and digital public infrastructure initiatives, Bhatia has contributed extensively to technology-driven governance programs, including Aadhaar authentication systems that support secure service delivery for over 1.3 billion users.
Her continued leadership is expected to provide operational continuity as the mission advances its AI infrastructure and ecosystem development goals.
Strengthening India’s Digital Public Infrastructure
The appointment of Saurabh Vijay IndiaAI Mission comes at a pivotal time as India accelerates investments in artificial intelligence, digital governance, and technology infrastructure.
With Aadhaar and IndiaAI serving as foundational elements of the country’s digital future, the leadership consolidation is expected to support stronger policy alignment, infrastructure development, and innovation-led growth across India’s expanding digital ecosystem.
