'India needs its own AI': Sarvam co-founder at Rising Bharat

Technology Feb 28, 2026

At the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, Sarvam AI co-founder Pratyush Kumar made a strong case for India building its own homegrown artificial intelligence.
He believes it's key for the country to develop its own tech—like Sarvam's text and voice recognition tools—while still learning from global innovations.

Kumar on why India needs its own AI

Sarvam AI recently showed off by tackling this year's JEE Maths questions, highlighting how local AI can meet Indian needs.
Kumar pointed out that even with limited resources, it's possible to train solid AI models, and he hopes to scale up with more computing power in the future.
He also touched on how having sovereign AI is important for India's interests globally, with plans to expand access at home and find the right partnerships.