Amitabh Kant Calls on Indian Startups to Develop Indigenous AI Solutions
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Synopsis
Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, emphasized the need for developing indigenous AI technologies to maintain technological independence and innovation, while avoiding dependency on other nations.
Key Takeaways
- India needs to create its own AI technologies.
- Avoid becoming a technological colony of the West.
- Focus on energy-efficient and cost-effective innovation.
- Leverage extensive data sets for advanced technologies.
- Explore emerging sectors like big data and blockchain.
New Delhi, April 4 (NationPress) India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant emphasized on Friday the necessity for the nation to concentrate on cultivating its own sophisticated technologies, such as AI, and to steer clear of reliance on foreign nations for technological advancement.
Kant advocated for India to uphold its technological independence and to develop pioneering technologies that embody the country’s distinct culture and identity.
He underscored the importance of avoiding the status of a “technological colony” of Western countries or any other nation. Instead, India should prioritize innovation that is swift, energy-efficient, and economically feasible.
“It is crucial for India to preserve its sovereignty in technological progress and to lead at the forefront; we must not allow ourselves to become a technological colony of the West or any other nation globally. We must persist in innovating in a nimble, less energy-intensive, and cost-effective manner,” Kant articulated during his address at the second edition of the 'Startup Mahakumbh' event.
The narrative of India’s startups illustrates the entrepreneurial vigor characteristic of New India. With the launch of the StartupIndia Initiative in 2016, the objective was to establish an ecosystem that promotes innovation, extends financial assistance, and nurtures emerging enterprises. Over the past nine years, the startup landscape has experienced remarkable growth,” he shared with the audience.
The count of recognized startups surged from 400 in 2016 to over 161,000 by 2025. “Let us maintain this momentum, ensuring that innovation is central to India’s growth narrative,” Kant remarked.
He further accentuated the significance of harnessing India’s extensive data sets to engineer advanced technologies. He stated that the country needs to progress beyond merely implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and strive to establish comprehensive AI systems devoid of biases typically associated with Western models.
“We must create sovereign frontier models grounded in our own data sets, free from the inherent biases of the West. We should develop a complete AI ecosystem, not just the application layer,” the G20 Sherpa asserted.
Kant encouraged Indian startups to delve into emerging domains such as AI, machine learning, blockchain, big data, cybersecurity, space technology, and semiconductors.
He believed these sectors will propel future innovations and empower India to emerge as a leader in deep tech. “The future is about India becoming a champion of deep tech,” he concluded.
Kant’s statements echoed similar sentiments expressed the previous day by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who urged Indian startups to invest in deep tech, robotics, and next-generation industries.
