India must build its own AI models and strengthen data sovereignty: Experts

Last Updated: Feb 26 2026 | 8:48 PM IST

India will need to prioritise building its own foundational artificial intelligence (AI) models and strengthen data sovereignty safeguards to reduce dependence on foreign technologies, experts said. During a panel discussion at the Business Standard Manthan Summit moderated by Aashish Aryan on Wednesday, Sandeep Shukla, director of the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, Jibu Elias, country lead for India at Mozilla, and Arunima Sarkar, head of initiatives, at the Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution (C41R) India, World Economic Forum, concurred that retaining domestic control over user and other critical data was necessary to ensure that AI uplifts and advances India’s population.

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