TNI Bureau: As India prepares for a major global technology summit, the country is positioning itself not merely as a vast market but as a leading force shaping the future of technology and governance. In Parliament, Dr. Sasmit Patra raised critical and forward-looking questions about India’s approach to artificial intelligence, particularly the ambitious Bharat GenAI initiative. His intervention highlighted key issues of accessibility, sovereignty, innovation, and democratic governance in the emerging AI ecosystem.
Dr. Patra sought clarity from the government on whether the Large Language Models, as well as speech-to-text and text-to-speech technologies being developed under Bharat GenAI, would be open source and widely accessible. He emphasized that young innovators, startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs across India must be able to use these technologies freely if the country truly aims to build an inclusive and innovation-driven AI ecosystem. He also questioned whether these platforms would be free or affordable, stressing that high costs should not become a barrier for early-stage innovation.
A central theme of his speech was the concept of AI sovereignty. According to Dr. Patra, a national AI platform must function as a sovereign and independent digital entity of the Government of India. Sovereignty, he argued, is not limited to infrastructure ownership alone but must include full control over data, transparent governance, clear rules for data sharing, and strong privacy and security safeguards. Without these elements, technological progress could risk compromising national interests and citizens’ trust.
Dr. Patra also underlined the importance of linguistic inclusion in India’s AI future. He welcomed the progress made under Bharat GenAI toward expanding support to all 22 Indian languages, noting that AI systems must reflect India’s cultural and linguistic diversity if they are to truly serve the nation. Multilingual capability, he suggested, would help bridge digital divides and enable millions of Indians to participate in the knowledge and innovation economy.
Another key concern raised in Parliament was the need to democratise access to artificial intelligence. Dr. Patra pointed out that the government’s intention to explore discounted access models could help students, startups, and innovators engage meaningfully with AI technologies. Affordable access, he argued, is essential to ensure that AI does not remain concentrated in the hands of a few but becomes a tool of empowerment for the broader population.
His remarks placed India at a critical crossroads. As the world gathers to discuss the future of technology, India has the opportunity to set global standards by demonstrating that cutting-edge innovation can coexist with democratic values, public interest, and national security. The decisions taken today, Dr. Patra suggested, will determine whether artificial intelligence becomes a force that concentrates power or one that empowers a billion aspirations.
In essence, Dr. Sasmit Patra’s message in Parliament was clear: India’s AI journey must be open, inclusive, sovereign, and innovation-friendly. Only then can the country transform artificial intelligence into a catalyst for national growth, technological leadership, and social empowerment in the decades to come.
