At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Rajiv Chetwani, director of ISRO, emphasized the critical need for “sovereign AI” in national defense and space exploration. He argued that India’s AI must transcend mere consumption to fortify national sovereignty. Chetwani raised concerns about transparency, advocating for “Glass Box” AI over the opaque “Black Box” system. He stressed that reliance on foreign AI APIs compromises India’s visibility and legal control, asserting that AI is vital for network security and autonomy. He called for a robust framework to ensure data residency and infrastructure protection within India. Highlighting AI’s transformative capacity, Chetwani illustrated how AI enhances geospatial data for applications across agriculture, disaster management, and environmental monitoring. He noted, “AI significantly enhances the value of geospatial data by providing unprecedented insights,” underlining its pivotal role from farm to orbit. This discussion underscores the importance of a sovereign, transparent approach to AI in India’s strategic planning.
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