India's Sovereign AI: Why India Must Manufacture Intelligence, Not Just Rely On Global Models!

At India Today Conclave 2025, Rahul Kanwal, Executive Director of Business Today, hosts a compelling discussion on India's AI future with Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India & South Asia and Chair of the CII AI Council, along with Nitin Mittal, Principal, Deloitte Consulting; US Generative AI Innovation Leader Global Consulting Emerging Markets Leader. The debate centers on whether India should build its own sovereign AI or rely on existing global large language models. Nitin Mittal highlights that AI is the manufacturing of intelligence — a digital good that nations must produce to maintain technological sovereignty. Without its own AI infrastructure, India risks lacking control over this crucial digital product, much like a nation without its own industrial manufacturing base. He says the need for sovereign AI goes beyond just having control over data. It's about building an entire ecosystem that allows India to manufacture intelligence, just like we manufacture physical goods. Puneet Chandok, on the other hand, emphasises that while innovation is essential, the rapid diffusion of AI across industries, from classrooms to boardrooms and farms to finance, is equally critical. He believes India's AI revolution should not only focus on development but also on ensuring AI reaches every sector of the economy. Microsoft has committed to training 10 million people in AI, but Puneet Chandok insists that more needs to be done to make India an "AI-first" nation. Should India invest heavily in sovereign AI, or is global collaboration the way forward? Watch this insightful conversation to understand the future of AI in India!