Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a microvascular complication of diabetes, is a leading cause of blindness in India. Regular and timely screening for DR is recommended for the early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. However, mass screening for DR poses a significant challenge. Artificial intelligence (AI) is an important tool which has been used for diagnosing and grading diabetic retinopathy and aids in mass DR screening thus helping in faster and earlier screening of DR. This article aims to describe how AI is used in DR, software that are available for screening and the limitations and challenges in implementation of AI in health-care settings.