Technology leaders on Thursday strongly endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for building a sovereign, inclusive and globally competitive artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, highlighting the need for indigenous platforms, large-scale skilling and responsible deployment to ensure universal access.

CEOs back India-built, self-reliant AI ecosystem

CEOs who attended the high-level interaction said the Prime Minister’s emphasis was firmly on leveraging AI to create real-world impact while safeguarding privacy and reducing dependence on overseas technologies. Several executives described the discussion as unusually detailed and forward-looking for a policy-level engagement.

HCLTech CEO and MD C Vijayakumar said the Prime Minister’s understanding of AI applications stood out. “His knowledge on AI and where it should be applied is very inspiring. He was focused on creating solutions which the world will see as the best, and on defining the unique selling proposition of India’s AI solutions,” he said.

TCS CEO K Krithivasan said Modi’s articulation of India’s AI ambitions left a strong impression. “He talked about how we should not only impact, but also inspire the world. That is a very powerful statement. He also spoke about becoming self-reliant and ensuring citizens’ privacy while leveraging AI,” Krithivasan noted.

AI for inclusion, skilling and real-world impact

LTI Mindtree CEO and MD Venugopal Lambu said the Prime Minister linked AI directly to inclusion. “The haves and have-nots in the world are going to be divided by technology. How do we use AI for universal access—whether for health, economic growth or productivity—was a key focus,” he said.

Wipro CEO and MD Srini Pallia highlighted the emphasis on skilling and sovereign infrastructure. “He spoke about skilling India, building applications for India, and how UPI showed we can be self-sufficient. That opens the possibility of India becoming an AI exporter,” Pallia said.

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said the interaction reinforced the need to solve India-specific problems. “He motivated us to work on challenges relevant to our country and ensure this technology benefits every Indian, while attaining self-reliance,” he said.

Industry sees UPI-style model for AI growth

Jio Platforms CEO Kiran Thomas said the Prime Minister’s broader perspective was striking. “We understand technology as an industry, but he understands India. His call to welcome technology without being dependent on others was most inspiring,” he said.

The interaction, held at the Prime Minister’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, was aimed at fostering strategic collaborations, showcasing AI innovations and accelerating India’s AI mission. Modi urged companies to adopt indigenous technologies across sectors and cited UPI as proof that India can build trusted, scalable digital platforms, adding that the same model could be replicated for AI.