Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on Indian startups to play a central role in building the country’s artificial intelligence capabilities, stressing the importance of developing indigenous AI on Indian servers using domestic talent.
Speaking at the program marking ten years of the Startup India initiative at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Modi said nations leading the AI revolution would enjoy a strategic advantage in the coming years. For India, he said, that responsibility rests with its startup ecosystem.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the challenges faced by startups in adopting advanced technologies, particularly the high cost of computing infrastructure. To address this, he highlighted the India AI Mission, under which more than 38,000 GPUs have been onboarded to make large-scale computing power accessible to smaller startups. The aim, he said, is to ensure that cutting-edge technology does not remain limited to a few large players.
Modi emphasised that India’s AI ambitions should go beyond participation and move towards global leadership. He underlined the need for indigenous AI solutions built by Indian innovators and hosted on Indian servers, linking technological leadership to economic security and strategic autonomy.
He also pointed to similar efforts underway in sunrise sectors such as semiconductors, data centres and green hydrogen, where startups are expected to drive innovation and long-term growth.
India will host the India AI Impact Summit in February 2026, a moment Modi described as a major opportunity for the country’s youth and technology entrepreneurs. He urged startups to focus on solving real-world problems and building world-class products that can position India as a global leader in emerging technologies.
