India’s AI Sovereignty Push: Sarvam’s Big Vision Explained | Vivek Raghavan

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Sarvam AI co-founder Vivek Raghavan lays out a bold and urgent vision: India must build its own sovereign artificial intelligence stack or risk becoming a digital colony. Drawing from his experience in building Aadhaar and contributing to India Stack, he argues that long-term technological sovereignty matters far more than short-term advantages in chips or model size. Raghavan highlights how India’s unique strengths—its linguistic diversity, massive developer base, and cost-conscious innovation—can power the creation of world-class AI models built from scratch. From multilingual speech systems to advanced large language models trained on Indian data, Sarvam is working towards a full-stack AI ecosystem spanning models, applications, and infrastructure. He also emphasises the importance of scaling AI for real-world use, from enterprise solutions to government services, ensuring that cutting-edge technology reaches every citizen. With initiatives supported by the IndiaAI Mission, this vision signals a shift from being consumers of global AI to creators of globally competitive, India-first solutions. This is not just about innovation—it is about independence, inclusion, and building AI that truly understands India.