“Don’t Just Use AI, Build It”: Gautam Adani Calls for Sovereign AI at Maharashtra’s New Excellence Center

While the world prepares for the New Year, India’s industrial landscape is focusing on a different kind of resolution: AI Independence. Speaking today, Sunday, December 28, 2025, at the inauguration of the Vidya Pratishthan’s Sharad Pawar Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) in Baramati, billionaire Gautam Adani delivered a powerful message to India’s youth.

His core message? India cannot afford to be a “passive user” of foreign technology. To ensure strategic freedom, Bharat must build its own “Sovereign AI.”

1. The Risk of Foreign Algorithms

Gautam Adani cautioned that in an era where intelligence shapes national influence, over-reliance on foreign-built AI models carries significant risk.

• National Interest: “Data, decision-making, and capability must remain anchored in national interest,” Adani noted.
• The Goal: He emphasized that building indigenous AI models and strong local compute capacity is essential for India’s “cultural confidence and strategic freedom.”

2. AI as a Productivity Tool for the “Ordinary Citizen”

Despite common anxieties about job losses, Adani offered a reassuring perspective. He reminded the audience that every major technological shift—from the industrial revolution to India’s digital transformation—has ultimately expanded human potential.

• Empowerment: “AI will place intelligence and productivity directly in the hands of ordinary citizens,” he said, opening pathways for youth from all backgrounds to participate in India’s growth.

3. The New “Age of Intelligence”

The inauguration of the CoE-AI in Baramati marks a significant step in creating a talent pipeline for this vision.

• The Tipping Point: Adani stated that India is entering a “decisive phase” where technology and national purpose must move together.
• Youth Leadership: He urged the next generation to rise as “builders and leaders,” rather than just consumers of global tech.

4. Part of a Global Trend

This call for “Sovereign AI” aligns perfectly with the National Quantum Mission and the surge in local semiconductor manufacturing we’ve tracked this month. With the Digital India Mission already surpassing 101 crore internet users, the infrastructure for a truly “Atmanirbhar” (self-reliant) AI ecosystem is finally in place.

The Bottom Line: As we head into 2026, the mandate for Silicon Bharat is clear. It’s no longer enough to be the world’s back-office; India must become the world’s AI laboratory.