Bharat Digital Samvad 2026 warns India on foreign tech dependence
At the Bharat Digital Samvad 2026 in New Delhi, leaders and tech experts talked about why India needs to rely less on foreign digital platforms.
The big worry? Things like "kill switches," where outside companies can suddenly cut off services, just like when Microsoft blocked Nayara Energy's IT services last year.
The event, organized by the Bharath Digital Infrastructure Association (BDIA), made it clear: depending too much on global tech giants puts India at risk.
BDIA plans sovereign digital policies
Speakers and panelists pushed for stronger Indian-made solutions in AI, cloud, and cybersecurity. They compared letting foreign AI handle Indian data to a modern kind of colonialism.
BDIA president Piyush Somani summed it up well: "building sovereign and trusted digital infrastructure that is designed, governed, and scaled from within India."
The BDIA now plans to suggest new policies so India can build its own secure and independent digital ecosystem.