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The global AI race is heating up, and nations are vying to build self-reliant ecosystems that ensure strategic independence. Budget with ET Budget 2025: A CFO’s playbook for operational excellence and long-term growth Rising Bharat may need to take center stage for India’s game-changing plans Will Indian Railways accelerate to global standards with govt’s budgetary allocation? For India, the stakes are immense. As Prime Minister Modi explained in his conversation with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in 2023, “exporting flour to import bread” is no longer sustainable.
His analogy highlights the urgent need for India to control its entire AI value chain—transforming raw data into intelligence within our borders. Why should we export raw data only to import intelligence? India must focus on building infrastructure for the entire AI value chain , rather than limiting itself to usage-level applications. This is not an either-or scenario; we must excel in both foundational models and scalable solutions to create maximum impact.
What is sovereign AI ? To me, sovereign AI involves creating systems that reflect a nation’s languages, values, and culture. It enables innovation and growth grounded in India’s priorities, values, and socio-economic realities. Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd.
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With hundreds of languages and dialects, relying on foreign-developed AI systems risks excluding large portions of our population. These systems mostly focus on 20–30 widely spoken languages, leaving large sections of our population underserved, particularly in the most critical use cases such as health, education, and access to public services where language has an outsized impact on outcomes. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories To harness AI as a tool for inclusive growth , it must be accessible to every citizen, especially those in remote or underserved regions.
AI has to engage people in their native languages and cultural contexts. AI is not just a technological aspiration; it is a pathway to empower citizens and build a future where innovation is inclusive, equitable, and rooted in India’s identity. A strategic imperative Control over data is one of the most critical assets in the digital age.
A Sovereign AI ecosystem gives India autonomy to shape its future, derive insights tailored to its developmental needs, and leverage AI for inclusive economic and social growth. As PM Modi had emphasised, growing good wheat isn’t enough — we must also build the bakery to bake our own bread. Investing in Sovereign AI means strengthening resilience.
It is an investment in preserving our culture, nurturing our languages, and securing our future. More than a technological endeavour, it is about ensuring that India has the autonomy to innovate, prosper, and drive equitable growth. Sovereign AI is the foundation for a self-reliant India.
The clock is ticking The debate over whether to invest in building foundational models or not, should end now. While we deliberate, others are surging ahead. China’s DeepSeek V3, with 671 billion parameters, is outperforming global benchmarks on text understanding, coding, and problem-solving.
Developed at just $5.58 million, it highlights the value of focused and efficient resource allocation. India has proven its ability to achieve world-class outcomes with limited budgets.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission cost $71 million — 1/25th the cost of Russia’s moon mission and less than half the budget for the movie Interstellar. The same urgency and resourcefulness are needed going forward to propel India into AI leadership as well. The time to act is now We also have the mechanisms to realise Sovereign AI.
The India AI mission , aimed at positioning the country as a global AI leader, is critical to this vision. By democratising the access to compute, data, and talent, fostering research, and promoting indigenous AI models, the mission can catalyse self-reliance and inclusive growth. India has the talent, the vision, and the determination.
Strategic investments and decisive action can position us as a global hub for inclusive AI. The time to act is now! — The author is Distinguished Fellow – NITI Aayog. Views expressed are personal.
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