Co-Lead – Emerging Technologies

National e-Governance Division; New Delhi; On-site; INR 4,500,000 - 7,500,000; Full time

Job summary

National e-Governance Division seeks a Co-Lead – Emerging Technologies to anchor AI/ML, Blockchain, IoT, and Drone/GIS initiatives across central ministries and state governments. You will prototype governance solutions, ensure ethical AI, and lead partnerships with startups, academia, and industry consortia.

You will also head business development to secure funding and scale pilot concepts. Ideal candidates have 8+ years in tech with hands-on ML/DL experience, proficiency in NLP/CV, and strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or higher degree in CS, AI, Data Science or related fields.
• 8+ years in technology development, data science, and IT projects.
• Hands-on with ML/DL frameworks, NLP, CV, model serving.
• Experience interfacing AI with Blockchain, IoT, Drone/GIS systems.
• Proven BD, use-case commercialization or client consulting in public/enterprise.

Responsibilities

• Lead AI/ML solution architecture, prototyping and pilot development for governance.
• Architect end-to-end integration with Blockchain, IoT, Drone/GIS systems.
• Drive business development, secure client buy-in and project sanctions for deployments.
• Define ethical AI frameworks, bias mitigation, explainability, data security.
• Develop procurement frameworks and run national challenges and sandboxes.
• Build capacity via executive trainings and developer workshops.

Skills

AI/ML

NLP

Computer vision

TensorFlow

PyTorch

API deployment

Blockchain

IoT

Drones/GIS

Public sector

Education

BE / B.Tech

ME / M.Tech

MSc / MCA

MBA

PhD

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

GCP

AWS

NLP libraries

GIS tools

Job description

Job Description: Co-Lead – Emerging Technologies

Role: Co-Lead (Emerging Technologies)

Mapped Domain: Enterprise Solutions with AI/ML

Reporting to: Vice President / Head of Vertical, NeGD, Digital India Corporation

About the Role

We are actively seeking an exceptional technologist and strategic evangelist to serve as Co-Lead – Emerging Technologies at NeGD. This position acts as the institutional anchor for ideating, prototyping, scaling, and operationalizing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning solutions across public governance, while integrating complementary emerging disciplines such as Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and Drones/GIS.

The Co-Lead will advise Central Line Ministries and State Governments on the entire lifecycle of AI/ML interventions—ranging from problem statement framing and model validation to ethical AI guardrails and production-grade integration with core digital platforms. Furthermore, the incumbent will head Business Development for the emerging tech vertical—engaging user ministries (such as Agriculture, Health, Education, Revenue, and Urban Development), creating scalable pilot concepts, securing project funding/sanctions, and building productive partnerships with deep-tech startups, industry accelerators, and premier research institutions.

• AI/ML Solution Architecture & Prototyping: Lead the technical conceptualization, design, and pilot development of state-of-the-art AI/ML and Generative AI applications for governance (e.g., automated document processing, computer vision for scheme monitoring, predictive citizen service delivery, and NLP/conversational interfaces).
• Cross-Disciplinary Emerging Tech Integration: Evaluate and architect end-to-end solutions incorporating complementary emerging technologies:
  • Blockchain: For tamper-proof public registries, credential issuance, and land/supply chain traceability.
  • Internet of Things (IoT): For smart sensors, environmental monitoring, smart meters, and public utility optimization.
  • Drones, Aerial & GIS Tech: For spatial mapping, agricultural crop assessment, infrastructure surveying, and disaster management.
• Business Development & Project Sanctions: Actively engage with Central Ministries and State Line Departments to assess digital bottlenecks, author concept notes, present high-impact use case demonstrations, and secure client buy-in and project funding for emerging tech deployments.
• Ethical AI & Responsible Tech Frameworks: Define guidelines for ethical AI, algorithmic transparency, bias mitigation, explainability, and data security in public decision systems.
• Procurement Toolkit & Innovation Challenges: Develop Model RFPs, Technical Evaluation Frameworks, and outcome-based SLAs for procuring deep-tech, AI/ML, and IoT systems. Organize national Hackathons, Grand Challenges, and Sandboxes in partnership with startups and incubators.
• Technical Appraisal & Advisory: Appraise AI/ML DPRs submitted by states, evaluating training dataset viability, compute requirements, algorithmic soundness, and deployment architectures.
• Capacity Building & Knowledge Dissemination: Curate executive masterclasses, developer workshops, and practical AI toolkits for government officers, State e-Governance Mission Teams, and technical staff.
• Ecosystem Partnerships: Work in deep synergy with IndiaAI, Bhashini, MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), academic institutions (IITs/IIITs), and leading industry consortia.

Eligibility Criteria

• Educational Qualification: B.E. / B.Tech / M.E. / M.Tech / M.Sc / MCA / MBA / Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or related Software technical fields.
• Total Work Experience: Minimum 8+ years of professional experience in technology development, data science, and IT project implementation.
  • At least 4 years of specialized experience in designing, building, and deploying production-grade AI / Machine Learning solutions through their full lifecycle.
  • Demonstrated hands‑on familiarity with modern ML/DL frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow), NLP/LLM fine‑tuning, computer vision, and API‑based model serving.
  • Demonstrated working comprehension and project experience interfacing AI with adjacent frontier technologies (Blockchain, IoT, Drone/GIS systems).
  • Proven track record in Business Development, use case commercialization, tech advocacy, or client solution consulting in public or enterprise domains.
• Desired Certifications: Professional AI/ML certifications (Google Cloud Professional ML Engineer, AWS Certified Machine Learning - Specialty, or equivalent).

Skills & Attributes

• Deep technical expertise across algorithms, neural network architectures, edge deployment, and cloud-based AI infrastructure.
• Strong entrepreneurial mindset with proven capability to originate new business opportunities, engage ministerial clients, and communicate complex tech concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Familiarity with public procurement policies, RFP evaluation criteria, and government contracting guidelines.
• Strong published research, white paper authorship, or recognized open‑source contributions are highly desirable.
• Agile project management skills with ability to lead high‑performing, technical cross‑functional teams.