India Advances Sovereign AI Strategy and Calls for Intellectual Infrastructure

At the Economic Times Future of Knowledge Work Summit in New Delhi, Kiran Nair, chief digital officer of Adani Renewables, urged the development of a sovereign AI ecosystem in India. He argued that national control over AI infrastructure—spanning compute, talent, energy and data—is essential as automation expands, and highlighted India’s large internet user base, diverse datasets, and growing renewable‑powered data centres as advantages.

Separately, Pranav Adani, director of Adani Enterprises, emphasized that India’s rapid physical infrastructure growth must be matched by an intellectual infrastructure of think‑tanks and research bodies. He cited regional examples in energy, climate resilience and mobility, noting that institutions capable of analysing complex challenges such as AI, climate change and demographic shifts are crucial for informed policymaking and sustainable development.