Indian data should remain in Indian data centres, says Akash Ambani

Ambani also urged the government to expedite the draft of the 2020 data centre policy

Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani on Tuesday appealed to the Centre to expedite the updating of draft of the 2020 data centre policy, and called for storing Indian data in local data centres.

While speaking at ‘India Mobile Congress 2024’ at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Ambani said that Indian companies should be incentivised for setting up such data centres.

“Indian data should remain in India data centres. Therefore, Indian companies ready to set up AI and machine learning data centres, should get all necessary incentives including incentives for power consumption,” Ambani said.

“AI is absolutely critical for realising our dreams of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. Therefore, India under your (Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s) leadership should urgently embrace AI with a holistic strategy driven by maximum ‘Atmaanirbhar’ efforts,” Ambani said.

He stressed that Jio remains committed to democratising AI and offering powerful AI models and services to Indians at affordable prices.

“Towards this end we are laying the grounds for a national AI infrastructure,” Ambani stressed.
 

India needs some accelerated talent generation on a scale that is necessary to make India a global leader in AI.

Touching upon the sensitive issue of how the job market will be affected by AI, Ambani said some of the existing jobs will evolve, while many more exciting opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship “will be created in a rapid manner just like during the adoption of the computer and the internet”.