Build Homegrown AI Tech, Kant Calls Upon Indian Startups

India should maintain its technological independence and create frontier technologies that reflect the country’s unique culture and identity. India must not become a technological colony of West or any other country – Amitabh Kant, G20 Shepa, India

New Delhi: India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Friday that the country must focus on building its own advanced technologies like AI and avoid becoming dependent on other countries for technological progress.

Kant said that India should maintain its technological independence and create frontier technologies that reflect the country’s unique culture and identity.

He stressed that India must not become a "technological colony" of the West or any other country. Instead, it should focus on innovation that is quick, energy-efficient, and cost-effective.

“It is very important that for India to maintain its sovereignty in technological advancement and lead from the far front, we must not become a technological colony of either the West or any other country in the world. We must continue to innovate in a nimble, less energy-consuming, and cost-effective manner,” Kant said while speaking at the second edition of the 'Startup Mahakumbh' event here.

"India’s startup story is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit that defines New India. When we launched the StartupIndia Initiative in 2016, we aimed to build an ecosystem that fosters innovation, provides financial support, and nurtures young businesses. In just nine years, we have witnessed an explosion in startup activity," he told the gathering.

The number of recognised startups has grown from 400 in 2016 to over 161,000 in 2025. "Let us continue this momentum, ensuring that innovation remains at the heart of India’s growth story," said Kant.

He also highlighted the importance of using India’s large data sets to create advanced technologies. He said the country must go beyond just applying artificial intelligence (AI) and build complete AI systems that are free from the biases found in Western models. “We must build sovereign frontier models based on our own data sets that do not carry inherent biases of the West. We must build an end-to-end AI ecosystem, and not just the application layer,” the G20 Sherpa stated.

Meanwhile, Kant launched India Fintech Foundation (IFF), the self-regulatory organisation (SRO) for the fintech industry, also known as the SRO-Fintech Development Foundation (SROFT-DF).