India Must Build Its Own AI Foundations, Says Sarvam Co-founder
Dr. Vivek Raghavan, co-founder of AI startup Sarvam, recently issued a stark warning during a speech in Gwalior: India risks becoming a "digital colony" if it fails to establish its own artificial intelligence foundations. Raghavan emphasized the critical need for India to develop its own AI models and computing infrastructure, rather than depending on foreign technologies.
Addressing students, Raghavan urged them to take proactive responsibility for shaping the nation's AI future. "You are not the future of this country. You are its present," he declared, highlighting the immediate role of young innovators in driving India's technological sovereignty.
Lessons from Aadhaar: Scaling AI for India
Drawing parallels to his extensive involvement with the Aadhaar project, Raghavan reminded the audience of India's proven capability to build complex systems at an unprecedented population scale. He argued that this same ambition and capacity must now be applied to the realm of AI, ensuring control over data and the foundational technologies.
Raghavan's vision extends beyond mere adoption of AI tools developed elsewhere. He advocates for building AI "by Indians, for India, and then for the world," ensuring that the technology reflects the country's unique needs and cultural context. This approach is vital to prevent India from becoming a consumer of foreign AI without contributing to its core development.
AI for Every Indian, in Every Language
A key aspect of Raghavan's call for sovereign AI is its accessibility across all segments of Indian society. He envisions affordable AI tools that can revolutionize personalized education, healthcare, banking, legal assistance, and government services. Crucially, he stressed the importance of AI functioning effectively in Indian languages.
"If AI does not work in your language, it does not really work for you," Raghavan stated, underscoring that linguistic inclusivity is paramount for true societal benefit.
While acknowledging the potential for job displacement and transformation due to AI, Raghavan highlighted the necessity of continuous learning, reskilling, and robust safeguards against fraud, misinformation, and security threats.
Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators
Raghavan passionately encouraged students to embrace AI, experiment fearlessly, and cultivate an insatiable curiosity. He posited that the ability to ask incisive questions will become increasingly valuable in an AI-driven world, surpassing the importance of memorizing answers.
Linking leadership to discipline, self-reliance, and service, Raghavan called upon the youth to contribute actively to India's aspiration of becoming a developed nation by 2047. He reiterated that India's AI future must be constructed by its own citizens, with young people leading the charge in shaping this transformative technology and its societal role.