Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 17: Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday called on India and other countries in the Global South to develop their own artificial intelligence (AI) models using local data, stressing that such an approach is essential to ensure inclusive growth and equitable benefits.
Speaking at the ‘AI for India’s Next Billion: Intergenerational Insights for Inclusive and Future-Ready Growth’ session during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in the national capital, Kant emphasised that AI systems must be multilingual, accessible, affordable and accountable.
Kant cautioned that the rapid pace of AI advancements and massive global investments in the sector could lead to deep disruptions and widen socio-economic gaps if not handled responsibly.
“The challenge is whether AI can reach those below the poverty line, whether it can transform lives in the Global South, and whether it can improve learning, health outcomes and nutrition,” he said.
He warned that if AI solutions are not designed with the underprivileged in mind, existing disparities could deepen. However, he noted that AI now enables improvements in education and service delivery that were previously unimaginable.
Highlighting the importance of linguistic diversity, Kant said AI systems that are not multilingual risk excluding vast sections of the population.
He pointed out that India and other Global South nations are contributing significantly to the data used to train large language models (LLMs), claiming that India currently provides 33 per cent more data than the United States.
Kant warned that global technology firms could monetise such data to build costly products, potentially sidelining the very countries that contributed to their development. He therefore urged India and other developing nations to build their own AI models grounded in local datasets to ensure equitable access and benefits.
Drawing parallels with India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) success, Kant said the country leapfrogged decades of development through open and interoperable systems.
He cited open application programming interfaces (APIs) and global interoperability as key enablers of innovations in fast payments, stock market transactions, insurance and last-mile credit delivery. On this foundation, the private sector was encouraged to innovate and compete.
Kant proposed adopting a similar layered model for AI — with a strong digital public identity framework forming the base, upon which private players can build competitive solutions.
As AI adoption accelerates worldwide, he stressed that the technology must be deployed in a manner that uplifts citizens in the Global South, ensuring growth that is inclusive rather than exclusionary.