Sovereign AI to Shape Design, Deployment and Governance in India
New Delhi, February 17: Sovereignty in artificial intelligence will enable India to control how AI systems are designed, deployed and governed, with a focus on solving critical challenges in healthcare, education, agriculture and financial inclusion. Senior policymakers highlighted this vision at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on Tuesday.The leaders stressed that sovereign AI will ensure citizens can access essential services in their own languages, strengthening inclusion while improving delivery standards across sectors.
Sovereign AI Is Not Isolationist, Says NIC Chief
Abhishek Singh, Director General of the National Informatics Centre and Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, clarified that sovereign AI does not imply working in isolation.He noted that the objective is to enhance access to public services and improve quality of life through AI systems that are aligned with national priorities.
Phased AI Adoption and Shared Infrastructure Key to Innovation
Rishi Bal, Chief Executive Officer of BharatGen, said AI adoption should follow a phased approach, beginning with priority areas such as governance, citizen services and finance.He stated that shared digital infrastructure and common AI models will allow faster and safer innovation. According to him, achieving AI sovereignty requires building a national ecosystem of models and infrastructure that can be widely deployed while enabling startups to innovate. He added that such an ecosystem must be built through collaboration across the country.
From AI Consumer to Global AI Creator
The remarks were made during a session titled Scaling Impact from India’s Sovereign AI and Data at the summit. The discussion focused on how India can transition from being primarily a consumer of artificial intelligence to becoming a creator of AI systems with global relevance.The panel underlined the need to address gaps in deep research talent and long term innovation investment. Speakers emphasized that real AI capability is built through sustained research ecosystems and strong mentorship rather than short term interventions.
Aligning AI With National Development Priorities
The session connected advanced AI research to national priorities including financial inclusion, agriculture, healthcare and education. Policymakers said AI systems must align with India’s development goals to deliver meaningful and inclusive outcomes.The five day summit, which concludes on February 20, is expected to see participation from more than 100 government representatives. This includes over 20 heads of state, 60 ministers and vice ministers, along with more than 500 global AI leaders comprising CEOs, founders, academicians, researchers, CTOs and philanthropic organisations.
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