Vijay Shekhar Sharma warns AI protests could leave India behind
Paytm's founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma isn't happy about the recent protests against AI and data centers in India.
He called the pushback a "woke mindset" and warned that anti-tech attitudes could leave India stuck in the past.
His comments came after people protested Google's planned AI data center in Visakhapatnam, worried it might harm water supplies and a nearby wildlife sanctuary.
Google Visakhapatnam AI hub prompts protests
Google, working with the Adani Group, is developing the Visakhapatnam AI hub as part of its $15-billion investment in India between 2026 and 2030.
Protesters, some even children, showed up with signs like "We cannot drink DATA."
The Andhra Pradesh government rejected the claims as misleading and said water meant for rural or residential use would not be diverted.
Similar protests have also been reported in the US where 142 protests were held across 42 states against expanding data centers and AI infrastructure.