AI Summit and Awards 2026: Why India Is Not Behind in the AI Revolution

At the AI Summit and Awards 2026, Raghav Aggarwal, Co-founder of Fluid AI, addressed a pressing question in the technology community: Can India build its own version of GPT, the groundbreaking language model developed by OpenAI? His insights provided a comprehensive and realistic assessment of India's current position in the AI landscape, emphasizing both the potential and the challenges the country faces.

Aggarwal began by acknowledging the rapid advancements in AI globally, noting that while India has made significant strides in adopting AI technologies, developing a large-scale, sophisticated model like GPT requires overcoming substantial hurdles. These include the need for massive computational resources, access to extensive and diverse datasets, and a robust ecosystem of AI research and development. India’s infrastructure and investment in these areas, though growing, still lag behind some of the leading nations in AI innovation.

One of the critical challenges highlighted was the scarcity of high-quality, annotated data in Indian languages, which is essential for training language models that can understand and generate text effectively. India’s linguistic diversity presents both an opportunity and a complication: building AI models that cater to multiple languages and dialects requires significant effort in data collection and processing. Aggarwal emphasized that addressing this issue is crucial for creating AI systems that are truly inclusive and capable of serving the vast Indian population.

Despite these challenges, Aggarwal expressed optimism about India's potential to develop indigenous AI models. He pointed out the growing number of startups, research institutions, and government initiatives focused on AI development. The increasing availability of cloud computing services and collaborations with global AI communities are also fostering an environment conducive to innovation. Moreover, India’s vast pool of skilled engineers and data scientists provides a strong foundation for advancing AI research.

Aggarwal also discussed the importance of strategic investment and policy support from the government to accelerate AI development. He suggested that fostering partnerships between academia, industry, and government agencies could help bridge gaps in resources and expertise. Additionally, promoting open-source AI projects and encouraging data sharing could enhance India’s capabilities in building large-scale AI models.

In conclusion, while India faces significant obstacles in creating a GPT-like model, the country is not behind in the AI revolution. With focused efforts on infrastructure development, data acquisition, and collaborative innovation, India can position itself as a key player in the global AI arena. Aggarwal’s insights at the AI Summit and Awards 2026 underscore the realistic yet hopeful path forward for India’s AI ambitions.