At the AI Summit, industry experts on Wednesday underscored the complex policy challenge facing India as it seeks to accelerate its artificial intelligence ambitions while safeguarding citizens’ data and digital sovereignty. Speakers highlighted that achieving the right balance between strong data protection measures and a supportive innovation ecosystem will be critical if India hopes to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving global AI landscape.
CP Gurnani, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of AIONOS, warned that allowing artificial intelligence systems and machine learning operations to expand without proper governance frameworks and cybersecurity protections could expose the country to significant risks. He noted that global AI adoption has so far reached only a small fraction of its overall potential, estimating current usage at roughly 1.5 percent of what the technology could eventually achieve. According to him, policymakers must act proactively by introducing appropriate regulatory guardrails before AI adoption scales further.
Gurnani emphasised that protecting individual data must remain a central priority for governments. He argued that while innovation should be encouraged, secure applications and robust safeguards are essential to prevent misuse of personal information. He also referenced solutions developed by his company, including platforms designed to manage and regulate AI agents operating across digital ecosystems, highlighting the growing need for structured oversight as AI systems become more autonomous and interconnected.
Offering an international perspective, Umesh Sachdev, CEO and Co-Founder of Uniphore, pointed to the intense technological competition unfolding globally, particularly between the United States and China in areas such as advanced computing infrastructure, GPUs, and large-scale data centres. He observed that India aims to position itself within this competitive environment but must carefully calibrate its regulatory approach to avoid slowing innovation at an early stage of development.
Sachdev cautioned that excessive regulation could unintentionally hinder India’s progress in artificial intelligence when the country is still in the early phases of adoption. While acknowledging the importance of protecting citizens from potential risks posed by powerful AI technologies, he argued that carefully designed architectural and technological safeguards can ensure security without stifling innovation. According to him, policymakers must recognise the narrow margin between necessary oversight and regulatory overreach.
Saurabh Kumar Sahu, Managing Director and Lead for India Business at Accenture, highlighted the importance of maintaining a human-centric governance model in the age of AI. He stressed that effective decision-making should combine human judgment with machine intelligence, ensuring that technology enhances governance rather than replacing human accountability. In his view, regulatory frameworks should place humans firmly in leadership roles while leveraging AI to improve efficiency and decision quality.
Experts at the summit collectively concluded that India’s government faces a dual responsibility: protecting citizens’ data and national digital interests while simultaneously fostering innovation and technological growth. Striking this balance, they said, will be essential not only to prevent India from falling behind global AI leaders but also to guard against the risk of “data colonisation,” where foreign powers or corporations could gain disproportionate control over valuable data resources. The discussion reflected a growing consensus that thoughtful, balanced policymaking will determine India’s long-term position in the global AI ecosystem.
