Building India's AI-powered future with responsibility and vision: A 2026 reflection

As India celebrates the inspiring theme of "150 Years of Vande Mataram" and the national vision of "Green Growth and Digital India," I find myself reflecting on the extraordinary journey our nation has undertaken—from the adoption of our Constitution in 1950 to becoming one of the world's most dynamic digital economies today. We are at a defining moment in our story, standing at the intersection of heritage and innovation, where timeless values meet transformative technologies that will shape our future. 

The spirit of Vande Mataram resonates deeply with me, not only as a tribute to our national song's sesquicentennial, but as a reminder of the reverence and responsibility we must bring to building our nation ahead. Just as Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's immortal verses inspired generations to imagine a free India, today we must channel that same collective purpose into shaping an India that leads the world in responsible and inclusive technological innovation. 

Technology as India's destiny 

Having spent over four decades in India's financial sector, including my tenure as the first woman to chair the State Bank of India , and now leading Salesforce across South Asia, I have witnessed first hand how technology can be the great equaliser and accelerator of progress. During my years at SBI, we embarked on an ambitious digital transformation journey, introducing mobile banking and modernising operations that touched the lives of millions of Indians. Today, as I lead one of the world's most innovative technology companies in India, I am even more convinced: technology is not just India's future—it is our destiny. 

India's digital revolution has already transformed how we bank, communicate, shop, learn, and govern. With over 750 million internet users, we have leapfrogged traditional development models, bringing financial inclusion to the unbanked, healthcare to remote villages, and education to the most marginalised communities. Our home-grown digital public infrastructure—from UPI to Aadhaar—has become a model for the world, demonstrating how technology can be deployed at scale to serve the masses, not just the privileged few. 

As we embrace artificial intelligence as the next frontier, India stands uniquely positioned to lead. Our young demographic dividend, combined with our deep pool of technical talent and growing startup ecosystem, gives us a competitive advantage. According to recent estimates, AI could add $500 billion to India's GDP by 2025, potentially making us one of the top five AI markets globally. But the true measure of our success will not be in economic metrics alone—it will be in how we harness AI to solve uniquely Indian problems, from precision agriculture that empowers our farmers to AI-powered healthcare that reaches every corner of our vast nation. 

The imperative of guardrails 

As we race to scale AI across sectors—from healthcare and education to manufacturing and governance—we must pause to ask ourselves: Are we building the guardrails necessary to ensure this technology serves humanity's best interests? 

The challenges are real and pressing. AI systems, if left unchecked, can perpetuate and amplify existing biases. The concentration of AI capabilities in the hands of a few large corporations raises questions about power, privacy, and autonomy. And the environmental cost of training large AI models cannot be ignored in an era of climate crisis. 

We must chart our own path—one that reflects our values of inclusivity, democracy, and sustainable development. This means establishing clear regulatory frameworks that protect citizens' data privacy and algorithmic rights without stifling innovation. It means investing in AI ethics research and ensuring diverse voices shape how these systems are designed and deployed. It means building transparency into AI systems so citizens understand how decisions affecting their lives are being made. 

During my tenure at SBI, I learned that introducing sabbatical leave for women employees wasn't just about policy—it was about creating an institutional culture that valued work-life balance and recognised the full humanity of our workforce. Similarly, as we build India's AI future, we must embed human values at every layer of the technology stack. We need AI systems that are explainable, auditable, and aligned with constitutional principles of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. 

Thought leadership for India's AI journey 

What should India's AI strategy look like? I envision a multi-pronged approach that balances ambition with prudence, innovation with inclusion. 

First, we must invest heavily in AI research and development that addresses India-specific challenges. Whether it's developing AI models that work in low-connectivity environments, creating multilingual AI systems that serve all of our official languages, or building healthcare AI that accounts for India's unique disease burden—we need innovations that address local pain points. 

Second, we must democratise AI skills and access. Just as we made digital literacy a national mission, AI literacy must become part of our educational curriculum from schools to universities. We need to train not just data scientists and engineers, but also equip teachers, doctors, farmers, and small business owners to leverage AI tools in their work. Women, in particular, must be empowered to participate fully in the AI economy—as developers, entrepreneurs, and leaders. 

Third, we must forge public-private partnerships that accelerate AI adoption while ensuring accountability. Governments have the scale and mandate to deploy AI for public good, while the private sector brings innovation and agility. Together, we can create AI solutions for agriculture, disaster management, urban planning, and public health that transform millions of lives. 

Fourth, we must champion ethical AI development through industry self-regulation, clear legal frameworks, and transparent governance mechanisms. We need an AI regulatory sandbox approach—allowing innovation to flourish while monitoring for risks and course-correcting quickly when needed. 

Finally, we must position India as a responsible AI power on the global stage. Just as we have shared our digital public infrastructure with other developing nations, we can lead in creating global norms for ethical AI development, data governance, and technology cooperation that prioritises human welfare over corporate profits. 

The road ahead 

As we conclude our Republic Day celebrations, let us remember that our Constitution gave us not just freedom but also a blueprint for building a just, equitable, and progressive society. As we enter the age of AI, we must ensure this transformative technology serves those same constitutional ideals. 

The synergy between "Vande Mataram" and "Digital India" is not coincidental—it reminds us that progress must be rooted in reverence for our land and people. Technological advancement divorced from social responsibility is hollow. But technology deployed with wisdom, compassion, and foresight can indeed fulfill our founding fathers' vision of an India that is self-reliant, prosperous, and just. 

India's AI journey will require balance—fearless innovation tempered by thoughtful guardrails, rapid scaling guided by ethical principles, and ambitious goals grounded in inclusive development. 

As we sing "Vande Mataram" this Republic Day, let us pledge to build an AI-powered India that our freedom fighters would be proud of—an India where technology empowers every citizen, where innovation serves social justice, and where our digital future honors our Constitutional promise. 

Jai Hind! 

(Bhattacharya is President & CEO, Salesforce - South Asia. Views are personal)