‘To emerge as a true global power, India must secure technological sovereignty'

The Hindu

4 days ago

Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, who delivered the convocation address, has said that in an ever-evolving world, technology will be the greatest enabler for youth.
Mr. Sood, who delivered the convocation address of the Visvesvaraya Technological Univesity on Friday, said, 'It is a force that will not only shape your personal and professional paths, but also play a crucial role in building a stronger India. As both a catalyst and a cornerstone of national progress, technology transforms how we live, work, and connect. It fuels economic growth through innovation, enhances productivity in vital sectors like agriculture and healthcare, and bridges critical gaps in education and public service delivery,'' he said.
'To emerge as a true global power, India must secure technological sovereignty — the ability to design, develop, and deploy critical technologies independently, especially in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). And this is especially crucial today, in an era where AI is redefining how the world thinks, works, and competes.
'Across the globe, AI models like OpenAI's GPT, Google's Gemini, and China's DeepSeek have already shown us the extraordinary influence of foundational technologies. They're not just tools but breakthroughs that are shaping economies, steering geopolitics, and influencing culture and national security.
'DeepSeek, in particular, disrupted the global AI landscape by delivering a powerful language model at a fraction of the cost of its Western counterparts proving that world-class innovation is no longer limited to tech giants.
'This transformation signals a clear message: India must act now. Not only to reduce dependency, but to ensure that our languages, cultures, and ethical values are embedded in the digital systems of tomorrow. This isn't just about catching up. It's about leading,' he said.
In response to this challenge, the Government of India had launched the IndiaAI Mission, which was a bold initiative to build indigenous AI models tailored for India's needs. Under this mission, four pioneering start-ups — Soket AI, Sarvam AI, Gnani.ai, and Gan.ai — were developing multilingual, emotion-aware AI systems that reflected the richness of our 22 official languages and countless regional dialects. These models were being trained on Indian datasets, with applications across defence, agriculture, education, and healthcare, he said.
The Department of Higher Education had taken a forward-looking step by establishing four Centres of Excellence (CoEs), each dedicated to building capacity in cutting-edge technologies. These centres focused on areas like AI in healthcare, agriculture, and sustainable cities. By aligning academic learning with real-world challenges, these CoEs are not only preparing our students and researchers for tomorrow but also aimed for actively shaping the vision of Viksit Bharat,' he said.
Governor's call
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, in his address, called upon young engineering graduates to use their innovative and creative spirit to create new industries and join hands in nation building.
He said that they should create industries and provide employment. He also said that today's graduates should pay attention to environmental protection and engage in research and development that helped society.
The university presented honorary doctorates to V. Narayanan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, Prashant Prakash, founder, Excel India, and C.S. Sunder Raju, Chancellor, Atria University, Bengaluru.
Vice-Chancellor S. Vidyashankar was present.