Akash Ambani Calls for Holistic AI Strategy and Data Sovereignty in India
New Delhi: Akash M Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, emphasized the urgent need for India to adopt a comprehensive strategy for artificial intelligence (AI), underpinned by a commitment to “Atmanirbhar” (self-reliant) initiatives. Speaking at the inauguration of the International Mobile Congress (IMC) and the International Telecommunication Union World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (ITU-WTSA) 2024, he made a compelling case for ensuring that Indian data is stored within the country’s data centres.
Ambani urged the government to expedite the revision of the Data Centre Policy 2020, highlighting the importance of keeping Indian data in local infrastructure. “The scale and speed of multilingual data generation in India, which will drive the AI revolution, will grow exponentially. We request the government to prioritize the updating of the 2020 draft of the Data Centre Policy to ensure that Indian data remains within India’s data centres,” he stated.
He characterized AI as a transformative force across various sectors, including healthcare, education, agriculture, and manufacturing. Recognizing its potential, Ambani called for Indian companies that are prepared to establish AI and machine learning data centres to receive necessary incentives, particularly regarding power consumption.
By fostering an environment that supports local data sovereignty and encourages innovation in AI technologies, India can position itself as a leader in the global digital landscape, Ambani concluded.
