India is intensifying its focus on establishing sovereignty in artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing technological self-reliance and global competitiveness.
The nation's strategic investments in AI supercomputers and Indigenous Large Language Models (LLMs) aim to strengthen various sectors while addressing country-specific challenges.
"AI is at the forefront of global technological competition, and for India, building a self-sufficient AI stack is imperative," says Swastik Chakraborty, vice president of technology at Netweb Technologies. "This drive is motivated by the need to enhance digital sovereignty, cater to unique national requirements, and position India as a tech leader."
Sovereign AI: a national imperative
India's efforts include the development of localized LLMs, such as Navarasa 2.0, OpenHathi, Krutrim, Project Indus, and BharatGPT, which focus on addressing India's linguistic and cultural diversity.
The IndiaAI Mission, backed by an INR10,372 crore (US$1.25 billion) budget, plans to deploy over 10,000 GPUs within the next two years to support these initiatives. Additionally, state governments like Telangana and Karnataka are integrating AI into governance and education programs.
"A sovereign AI infrastructure—including HPC systems, GPUs, specialized accelerators, and robust data management—is essential for training LLMs," Chakraborty said. "These efforts collectively boost R&D, fortify local businesses, and ensure resilience against global supply chain uncertainties, setting India on a transformative path toward AI-driven growth and innovation."
Building technological foundations
Netweb Technologies has been contributing to India's AI initiatives, including its involvement in the development of AIRAWAT, India's largest and fastest AI supercomputer, currently ranked 75th globally with a speed of 13,170 teraflops.
Through strategic partnerships with Nvidia and AMD, the company is supporting India's AI capabilities and producing advanced servers and AI infrastructure locally.
"Netweb has partnered with Nvidia to manufacture server designs for AI cloud infrastructure and with AMD to introduce advanced server systems powered by AMD EPYC 9004 Series processors," says Chakraborty. The company is also in discussions with the government to establish an AI sovereign cloud, providing GPU-powered systems to startups under the AI Mission.
These efforts align with the "Make in India" initiative, with Netweb participating in both PLI 1.0 and 2.0 schemes and receiving incentives for local computer server manufacturing.
The company's focus on domestic production helps decrease reliance on foreign technologies, contributing to India's resilience in the global technology landscape.
Challenges on the path to AI self-reliance
Despite progress, several challenges remain. Chakraborty identifies reliance on imported silicon for AI solutions as a significant hurdle. While India aims to establish domestic chip production facilities, initial efforts will focus on components like storage drives and network interface chips.
"With only 2% of the global US$1 trillion compute infrastructure, India struggles to meet the demands of large-scale AI training, requiring thousands of GPUs," Chakraborty noted.
To bridge this gap, the IndiaAI Mission's GPU investments mark a critical first step. However, other obstacles, such as limited network scalability, data quality issues, and regulatory hurdles, persist.
The government's rollout of 5G networks and initiatives like the National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP) aim to address these issues by improving connectivity and data accessibility. Additionally, India must build a skilled workforce to manage its AI stack, including roles in data science, AI ethics, and system security.
Shaping the future of AI in India
India's push for sovereign AI infrastructure is not just about technological advancement but also economic transformation.
By reducing reliance on foreign technologies and fostering a robust AI ecosystem, the country seeks to empower startups, drive innovation, and address real-world challenges in sectors ranging from healthcare to agriculture.
As India scales its AI ambitions, the collaborative efforts of government, academia, and industry promise a transformative impact, positioning the nation as a global AI leader while fostering digital sovereignty.
