Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini on Monday launched the Haryana Artificial Intelligence (AI) Sandbox in Gurugram, describing it as a transformative platform that will strengthen innovation and good governance while helping deliver technology-driven public services.Start-ups and innovators have been invited to develop AI tools for key governance challenges under a World Bank-backed programme. (HT Photo)Addressing innovators and technology professionals, Saini said the Haryana AI Sandbox would advance the state’s commitment to Antyodaya by ensuring that the benefits of technology reach the last person in society.While the specific budget for the AI Sandbox has not been separately disclosed, it is part of Haryana’s broader AI Development Programme, which has been pegged at ₹474 crore and is being supported by the World Bank. The sandbox is designed as a “test before invest” platform, allowing selected AI solutions to be trialled and validated before any decision is taken to scale them across public services.An AI sandbox is a secure, time-bound environment where competitively selected teams develop and pilot AI solutions to address specific challenges. Chief Executive Officer of AI for Resilient Jobs, Urban Air Quality & Next-Gen Skills Council (ARJUN), J. Ganesan said the platform follows a “test before invest” approach.“Unlike conventional pilots that commit resources upfront, the Sandbox operates on a test-before-invest principle, allowing stakeholders to prove that an AI solution works, is safe and delivers measurable value before any decision to scale,” Ganesan said.The launch marked the beginning of the call-for-proposals phase, under which start-ups and innovators have been invited to develop AI-enabled solutions for priority public-service challenges. Applications will be assessed through a competitive evaluation involving concerned department heads and the programme committee, with one team selected for each use case.“Selected initiatives will get funding from the World Bank to help them scale and deploy,” Ganesan said at the event.The state has identified five priority sectors for AI deployment: public grievance handling, school education planning, road infrastructure maintenance, healthcare imaging services, and water and sewerage management. In future, sectors such as agriculture, revenue, urban development, transport, social welfare, environment and industry will also leverage the platform, Saini said.The chief minister said AI could help identify damaged roads through photographs and location-based information, assess teacher requirements and shortages, assist doctors in detecting serious medical cases at an early stage, and analyse complaints relating to water supply and leakages for quicker resolution.“Whether it is roads, water supply, schools, hospitals or public grievances, technology-driven solutions have the potential to bring meaningful improvements to citizens’ daily lives,” he said.Ganesan said hyperscalers such as Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services have expressed interest in the pilots and assured pro bono access to cloud infrastructure. He added that successful innovators would be announced in the third week of June at an AI Summit, following which agreements would be signed before data access is granted.Acting India Director of the World Bank, Paul Procee, said the bank would support Haryana in strengthening AI skills and capabilities.