India is charting a “Third Way” in AI, balancing U.S. innovation and EU regulations

DR. DEEPAK KUMAR SAHU
PUBLISHER, VARINDIA

“New Delhi has momentarily become the epicenter of the global artificial intelligence debate. As the India AI Impact Summit unfolds at Bharat Mandapam, the gathering feels less like a technology exhibition and more like a strategic declaration of intent. The guiding motto, “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” (Welfare for All, Happiness for All), underscores India’s view of AI not as elite infrastructure but as public utility.

On January 3, 2025, MeitY unveiled the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, inviting feedback until February 18. With that window closing just two days ago, today—February 20, 2026—will be remembered as a historic day in India’s tech landscape. For the first time, a major AI summit is being hosted in the Global South-symbolically shifting the centre of gravity in global tech governance. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji at the helm, the event projects a confident narrative - the Global South is no longer an observer in the AI revolution—it is shaping its direction.

India is charting a “Third Way” in AI—balancing U.S. innovation and EU regulation—advocating inclusive, accountable scale. Viewing compute and data as global public goods, India positions AI as central to governance, growth, and national competitiveness. Friends, we are thriving in the era of agentic AI, digital resilience goes far beyond uptime or recovery. It demands the ability to manage dynamic environments and govern autonomous systems that continuously make and act on independent decisions. The interesting change is quietly visible - the hyperscaler grip is being challenged. In 2025, global AI infrastructure commitments are projected to reach $616 billion—with hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services, Google, Meta and Microsoft accounting for about $361 billion, while neocloud providers are set to deploy $181 billion, and sovereign AI initiatives add another $75 billion. Platforms from OpenAI, Google’s Gemini, Microsoft, Perplexity AI, DeepSeek and Anthropic are rapidly redefining how people search, write, code, analyze and automate.

India has emerged as a global digital powerhouse, with nearly one billion internet users and the distinction of being the world’s largest mobile data consumer. Affordable data and reliable connectivity extend seamlessly from major cities to the remotest villages. Aadhaar, covering over 1.4 billion people, powers inclusive digital identity, while UPI processes more than 12 billion transactions monthly. Ranked among the top startup ecosystems, India’s Digital Public Infrastructure now serves as a trusted global model.”