Artificial Intelligence-Driven Innovation In Higher Education System In India

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in higher education, reshaping teaching–learning processes, academic administration, and research ecosystems worldwide. In India, the integration of AI has gained strategic importance in the context of large-scale educational expansion, growing diversity of learners, and policy reforms such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Digital India initiative. This paper examines the role of AI-driven innovation in the Indian higher education system, with particular emphasis on personalized learning, administrative automation, and research enhancement. Drawing on established theoretical frameworks—including the Technology Acceptance Model, Cognitive Load Theory, and Self-Determination Theory—and a systematic review of empirical studies published between 2019 and 2024, the study synthesizes current trends, applications, and outcomes of AI adoption in higher education. Evidence indicates that AI-enabled personalized learning systems, intelligent tutoring, learning analytics, and generative AI tools enhance learner engagement, instructional efficiency, and academic support, while AI-based administrative systems improve governance, resource optimization, and decision-making. The paper also highlights AI’s growing role in academic research through automation of literature review, data analysis, modelling, and research communication. Despite these opportunities, significant challenges persist, including infrastructural constraints, faculty readiness, ethical concerns, data privacy, and risks to academic integrity. The study further analyses adoption patterns across Indian higher educational institutions and assesses future prospects of AI-driven innovation. It concludes that AI can serve as a critical enabler for improving quality, equity, and global competitiveness of Indian higher education, provided it is implemented through a human-centric, ethical, and policy-aligned approach.