The Sarvam AI co-founder says India’s future in artificial intelligence is highly dependent on creating homegrown AI models and infrastructure.
India today cannot afford to remain only a consumer in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race. This was precisely the message delivered by Pratyush Kumar, co-founder of Sarvam AI, who believes the country must urgently invest in building its own large-scale AI models if it wants to shape the future of technology. Speaking about India’s growing role in artificial intelligence, Kumar stressed that relying entirely on foreign AI systems could limit the country’s technological independence and long-term competitiveness.
Why India’s AI push is crucial?
As governments and technology companies across the world accelerate investments into AI infrastructure, India is increasingly positioning itself as a serious player in the sector. However, industry experts [internal link of website on ‘industry experts’]argue that true leadership will require more than widespread adoption of global AI tools. According to Kumar, India needs to participate in building “frontier-scale” AI systems, advanced foundational models capable of understanding local languages, cultural nuances and large-scale public use cases. The conversation around sovereign AI has gained great momentum alongside the government-backed IndiaAI Mission that aims to expand access to computing infrastructure, GPUs and research support for Indian startups and institutions. Reports suggest that the initiative is focused on strengthening domestic AI capabilities while reducing dependence on overseas platforms.
AI sovereignty becoming a strategic priority.
India’s AI ambitions are no longer limited to startups alone, believes Kumar. Policymakers, researchers and technology leaders are now discussing AI sovereignty as a strategic necessity, similar to digital infrastructure and semiconductor manufacturing. The larger concern is that countries without their own AI ecosystems could eventually become dependent on external technologies for education, governance, healthcare and business operations. At forums such as the India AI Impact Summit 2026, discussions have increasingly focused on moving India “from AI user to AI creator.”
India though remains one of the fastest-growing digital economies in the world, experts believe the next challenge will be translating that scale into original innovation. For startups like Sarvam AI, the goal is not simply to build another chatbot, but to ensure India has a meaningful voice in the global AI ecosystem.