Artificial intelligence has sparked a global race among governments and technology companies to build sovereign AI capabilities. From developing advanced chips and large language models to securing computing infrastructure, countries are increasingly viewing AI as a strategic asset.
For India, however, the debate has often centred on whether it should replicate the AI ecosystems emerging in the US and China or focus on areas where it has unique strengths.
According to NetApp CEO George Kurian, the answer lies in the latter.
Speaking exclusively to CNBC-TV18, Kurian argued that India's competitive advantage in the AI era will come from applying the technology to solve pressing economic and social challenges rather than attempting to dominate every layer of the AI value chain.
"I think India's greatest contribution to the world in AI will be to lead the world in AI applications," he said.
Not every country needs to build every layer
The AI ecosystem consists of multiple layers, including semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, foundation models, software platforms and end-user applications.
While much of the attention has focused on countries developing cutting-edge AI models, Kurian believes competitive advantage can also emerge through the industries that use AI most effectively.
"When you think beyond the technology industry, the way to build a competitive moat is to lead the world in specific industrial applications of the technology," he said.
In other words, countries do not necessarily have to produce the most powerful AI models if they can become global leaders in using AI to transform sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare or pharmaceuticals.
India's strengths are already in place
Kurian believes India begins with several structural advantages.
The country has one of the world's youngest populations, a rapidly expanding digital economy and one of the largest pools of software engineering talent. Over the past decade, India has also built digital public infrastructure that has generated vast amounts of trusted digital data across sectors.
Combined with a vibrant startup ecosystem, these factors create favourable conditions for building AI-powered solutions at scale.
"You have a young population, a large amount of data that can be harnessed because of the role the government can play, and innovative, entrepreneurial, digitally savvy innovators," Kurian said.
Rather than treating AI as an end in itself, he believes India should focus on applying the technology to improve people's lives.
AI's biggest impact may come outside the technology sector
Much of the global conversation around AI has revolved around chatbots and productivity tools.
Kurian believes India's opportunity is considerably broader.
He pointed to areas such as affordable healthcare, food security and disaster risk mitigation as examples where AI can create meaningful societal impact.
"I really believe the application of this technology to make affordable healthcare available, improve food security, or mitigate catastrophic risks is perhaps more important than gloating about how powerful the technology is," he said.
These sectors affect hundreds of millions of people and represent areas where India can build solutions with global relevance.
Healthcare, for example, could benefit from AI-assisted diagnostics, personalised treatment recommendations and improved hospital operations. Agriculture could see productivity gains through precision farming, weather forecasting and crop monitoring, while manufacturing could use AI to improve efficiency and quality control.
Responsible and affordable AI could become India's differentiator
Kurian believes India's role should extend beyond developing applications.
He hopes the country can become a global leader in making AI both affordable and responsible.
"My hope is that India leads the world in making AI affordable, making responsible AI accessible to a large population, and, by doing so, teaches the world," he said.
That approach reflects India's long-standing ability to deliver technology solutions at scale and relatively low cost, whether through digital payments, identity systems or financial inclusion initiatives.
If similar models emerge for AI, India could influence how developing economies adopt the technology.
AI sovereignty remains important—but not sufficient
As governments increasingly emphasise AI sovereignty, data localisation and domestic computing infrastructure, Kurian acknowledged that countries need greater control over their digital ecosystems.
He said data residency and data sovereignty will remain foundational requirements for organisations handling sensitive information.
However, he also argued that sovereignty should not be viewed only through the lens of infrastructure.
Over time, more countries will need independent AI supply chains and stronger domestic innovation ecosystems to reduce reliance on a handful of global technology providers.
For companies like NetApp, that means helping organisations use global AI innovations while remaining compliant with national regulations governing data and digital infrastructure.
India can build a different kind of AI leadership
Some policymakers argue that countries must participate across the full AI stack—from chips to models to applications—to remain globally competitive.
Kurian offers a more pragmatic view.
Rather than competing head-on with countries that already dominate semiconductor manufacturing or frontier AI research, India can build leadership by applying AI to sectors where it already has deep expertise.
Whether in pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, financial services or healthcare, AI can strengthen India's competitiveness without requiring the country to lead every technological layer.
Success in the AI era, he suggests, will depend not only on who builds the most advanced models but also on who uses them most effectively to solve real-world problems.
As governments refine national AI strategies, that distinction may become increasingly important.
For India, the biggest opportunity may not be creating the next ChatGPT. It may be creating AI-powered solutions that improve healthcare, strengthen industries, increase productivity and make advanced technology accessible to millions—while offering a model that other emerging economies can replicate.