Updated 17 February 2026 at 11:25 IST
AI Impact Summit 2026: India Should Build Its Own AI Models Using Local Data, Says Amitabh Kant
At the India AI Impact Summit, Amitabh Kant warned that artificial intelligence could worsen inequality if it is not made accessible and inclusive. He called for multilingual AI systems and urged India to develop its own models using domestic data, arguing that reliance on global platforms could leave developing nations paying high costs for technologies built using their own data.
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit, Amitabh Kant stressed that artificial intelligence must be designed to reach the poorest sections of society, warning that unchecked deployment could widen economic and social divides.
“The challenge is whether we can ensure that AI reaches the population which is below the poverty line, whether it can be used to transform the lives of citizens in the Global South and whether it can be used to improve learning, health outcomes, and nutritional standards,” Kant said during a panel discussion.
He cautioned that without a clear inclusion framework, AI risks becoming a tool that benefits only a narrow segment of society. According to Kant, governments must proactively shape AI policy to ensure the technology serves public welfare objectives rather than reinforcing existing inequalities.
Push For Multilingual, India-built AI Models
Kant also underlined the importance of building indigenous, multilingual AI systems, arguing that language barriers could exclude large sections of India’s population from accessing AI-driven services.
“If AI is not multilingual, it will cut out a large section of the population,” he said.
Highlighting India’s role in the global AI ecosystem, Kant pointed out that developing countries contribute a significant share of data used to train global AI models but often end up paying high costs to access the resulting technologies.
“We are providing more data to OpenAI than the US. Data from Global South is helping refine models. These will sell you high-cost products. So, India needs to build models on its own data,” he said.
Kant’s remarks come as India positions itself as a key voice in shaping AI governance for the Global South, with a focus on affordability, accessibility and sovereign control over critical digital infrastructure.
Published By : Shourya Jha
Published On: 17 February 2026 at 11:24 IST