Trai Chairperson Calls for Resilient AI Infrastructure and Strong Self-Regulation at Nasscom Pre-Summit Event

Focus on Accessibility, Security, and Accountability in India’s AI Growth​

Trai Chairperson Anil Kumar Lahoti on Monday underlined the need for resilient artificial intelligence infrastructure and strong self-regulation to proactively mitigate risks and ensure systems remain secure, accountable, and adaptable to disruptions.

Speaking at a pre-summit event organised by NASSCOM ahead of the AI Impact Summit, Lahoti said the way AI infrastructure is designed and deployed will determine whether the benefits of the technology remain limited to a few or are widely distributed across regions and sectors.

Self-Regulation Seen as Key to Risk Mitigation​

Lahoti emphasised that maintaining resiliency in AI infrastructure requires safeguards and frameworks that allow systems to adapt to disruptions while continuing to meet public and economic objectives. From a regulatory perspective, he said robust self-regulation would enable the industry to address AI risks through voluntary commitments and self-certification, helping ensure reliability, security, and accountability.

Rising Energy Demand and AI Efficiency​

Referring to projections by the International Energy Agency, Lahoti noted that India’s total energy demand is expected to grow by about 3 percent annually until 2035. Against this backdrop, he highlighted the importance of optimising AI energy requirements while supporting digital expansion.

He added that global AI energy consumption is projected to more than double by 2030, reaching around 945 terawatt hours, underscoring the need for efficiency in large scale AI deployments.

India AI Mission and Strategic Infrastructure Push​

Lahoti highlighted government efforts under the India AI Mission to expand access to foundational AI resources. The initiative is facilitating affordable access to more than 38,000 GPUs, along with a secure 3,000 GPU cluster reserved for strategic use.

With India positioned to capture 10 to 15 percent of the estimated USD 17 trillion to USD 26 trillion value that AI is expected to add to the global economy over the next decade, Lahoti described AI infrastructure as a strategic national asset critical to innovation, competitiveness, and state capacity.

He also pointed out that high quality AI infrastructure remains concentrated among a limited number of countries, companies, and urban centres, a challenge that India needs to address as it transitions towards a knowledge driven economy.

Convergence of AI and Telecom Networks​

According to Lahoti, AI and the telecom sector are increasingly converging to form the backbone of the digital economy. Telecom networks act as primary carriers for AI, while artificial intelligence provides the intelligent layer that enhances telecom operations, placing networks at the core of India’s AI ecosystem.

He cited the scale of current AI deployment, noting that one service provider has already identified over 48 billion calls and 250 million SMS messages as spam, while blocking nearly 3.2 lakh fraudulent URLs.

India AI Impact Summit 2026​

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, is scheduled to be held on February 19 to February 20 in New Delhi. The event will be the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South.

Summing up, Lahoti said that as India advances in AI adoption, the design, governance, and deployment of AI infrastructure will determine whether its benefits are concentrated or broadly shared. He stressed that accessibility, resiliency, and efficiency must remain the core principles guiding India’s AI infrastructure strategy.