Sovereign AI infrastructure for India

Its not an option, its a strategic imperative

While India has already demonstrated leadership in creating digital public goods (like Aadhaar and UPI) at scale, Its lagging behind on having a sovereign Cloud tech & AI ecosystem. The urgency is underscored by global competition, changing geo-politics and tech concentration in US/China, making self-reliance in AI a strategic imperative rather than an option.

In essence, this technological dependance can turn to a strategic vulnerability.

Key reasons to have sovereign AI includes -

• Reduce Foreign Dependence: Relying less on foreign tech gives India strategic autonomy, especially in critical sectors and during global tensions.

• Ensure Data Security & Privacy: Keeping sensitive national data within Indian jurisdiction protects against external threats and enables compliance with local laws.

• Promote Indian Languages & Inclusivity: Indigenous AI can better serve India’s linguistic and cultural diversity, supporting digital inclusion for all citizens.

• Drive Economic Growth: A homegrown AI ecosystem retains value within India, fuels innovation, and creates jobs.

• Set Local Regulations & Ethics: Sovereign AI allows India to create policies reflecting its values and societal needs.

Multi-pronged approach to achieving sovereign AI

India's path to developing world-class sovereign AI infrastructure requires a multi-pronged approach combining strategic investments, policy frameworks, and ecosystem collaboration. Here are the critical steps to be taken to become a top-class sovereign AI nation, India should focus on several key steps:

1. Develop a Robust AI Infrastructure: To effectively harness the potential of artificial intelligence, it is crucial to establish high-performance computing facilities that can handle the immense processing power required for training and deploying advanced AI models. This includes investing in state-of-the-art hardware such as GPUs and TPUs, as well as creating data centers that are equipped with the latest technologies to support large-scale data storage and processing capabilities.

   
   

2. Foster Public-Private Partnerships: The collaboration between government entities, private industry leaders, and academic institutions is essential for driving innovation in the AI landscape. By fostering public-private partnerships, stakeholders can pool their resources, knowledge, and expertise to tackle complex challenges and accelerate the development of AI technologies.

   
   

3. Invest in Talent Development: The rapid advancement of AI technologies necessitates a significant investment in talent development to ensure that the workforce is equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in this evolving landscape. Universities should be encouraged to launch AI-ready courses that cover a wide range of topics, including machine learning, data science, ethics in AI, and software engineering.

   
   

4. Create an Inclusive Policy Framework: To stimulate growth in the AI sector, it is essential to implement supportive policies that encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. This includes offering tax incentives for startups that focus on AI development, as well as grants and funding opportunities for research initiatives that explore new AI applications. Additionally, the policy framework should address ethical considerations and ensure that AI technologies are developed and deployed responsibly.

   
   

5. Promote Indigenous AI Models: It is vital to focus on the development of context-specific AI solutions that reflect and respect the rich diversity of India's languages, cultures, and societal needs. This involves investing in research that aims to create AI models capable of understanding and processing multiple languages, dialects, and cultural nuances. By prioritizing indigenous AI models, we can ensure that technological advancements are inclusive and accessible to all segments of the population.

   
   
   
   

Government of India is taking steps but is it enough.

• IndiaAI Mission: Launched in 2024 with a ₹10,000+ crore budget to build India’s AI ecosystem, including large-scale GPU infrastructure and development of indigenous AI models like the 70-billion-parameter Sarvam AI.

• Data Sovereignty: Creation of AIKosh, a unified platform for Indian public datasets, and hosting of open-source AI models on sovereign infrastructure.

• Language Inclusion: Digital India Bhashini supports 22 Indian languages with AI tools for speech, translation, and synthesis, promoting vernacular AI.

• Industry Collaboration: Partnerships with Indian tech firms to boost AI infrastructure and startups.

• Talent Development: National skilling programs like YuvAI to build AI expertise.

• Sector Focus: AI Centres of Excellence in healthcare, agriculture, education, and sustainable cities to drive applied AI.