India's immense data resources could provide the nation with a significant edge in the global artificial intelligence competition, provided these resources are strategically paired with practical applications. This is the perspective of CP Gurnani, Co-Founder and VC at AIONOS, who asserts that “The backbone of AI is data.”
India: The Data Capital of the World
During the India Today BRICS Roundtable, Gurnani highlighted India’s unique position. “The backbone of AI is data. Backbone of AI is machine learning. Who is the data capital of the world? It is India,” he declared. He argued that India should prioritize integrating its data advantage with real-world applications, rather than solely focusing on the underlying AI technology itself.
This approach, Gurnani believes, will enable India to translate its data wealth into AI solutions that are both locally relevant and globally scalable, reducing reliance on external imports and accelerating product development.
AI's Broadening Accessibility
Gurnani observed a fundamental shift in AI's accessibility, moving beyond the realm of specialized developers to everyday users. He cited examples like farmers using native languages to inquire about crops or precautions, illustrating AI's evolution into a universally valuable tool.
“AI for the first time has become a tool which is equally important to a grandmother or a tool which is equally important to a developer or a gamer,” Gurnani stated, likening this transformation to the ubiquitous nature of electricity. Users, he noted, value the applications powered by technology more than the infrastructure itself.
Strategic Infrastructure and Innovation
While acknowledging potential compromises on computing infrastructure compared to leading global players like Nvidia or AMD, Gurnani stressed that this should not impede India’s ability to develop competitive AI applications. He highlighted India’s strengths in user interfaces and agentic AI, areas where the nation need not compromise.
Drawing on India's history of creating robust technology solutions under constraints, such as its banking and insurance systems, Gurnani reiterated that the nation can thrive by focusing on smart application development rather than solely on hardware superiority.
The synergy between India’s data and AI capabilities, Gurnani concluded, holds the potential to drastically shorten product development cycles—by as much as a tenth—and reduce dependence on imports. He urged India to identify specific sectors where these combined strengths can establish dominance, such as APIs or agricultural alternatives, driving faster innovation and more affordable solutions for the country.