NITI Aayog's study 'AI for Inclusive Societal Development' focuses on India's 490 million informal workers, many of whom remain outside the digital economy. In that context, the proposed Mission Digital ShramSetu is important. It is described as a 20-year national initiative for worker digital empowerment, spanning phases from 2025 to 2030 and beyond.

The roadmap treats AI not just as a technology tool, but as a governance instrument linked to labour and social security. Its proposed uses include skill assessment, job matching, social security portability, and financial inclusion. Connecting the unorganised sector with digital systems matters because it shapes policy around skill identification, job linkage, benefit portability, and financial access for workers.

For prelims, the recall points are the 490 million worker base, the 20-year Mission Digital ShramSetu proposal, and AI uses such as skill assessment, job matching, benefit portability, and financial inclusion. In RAS, UPSC, and similar examinations, it can be linked with digital inclusion, informal labour, financial inclusion, and social security. For mains answers, the issue can be used to discuss how technology may help connect informal workers with the digital economy, while careless or unequal implementation may widen the digital divide. Responsible and equitable AI deployment is therefore the central message of this roadmap.