India can lead in AI without building its own models, says Red Hat India chief

India is poised to become a prominent player in the global artificial intelligence landscape, not by developing its own massive foundational models, but by effectively harnessing and utilizing existing technologies. According to Navtez Bal, Red Hat's vice president and general manager for India and South Asia, the nation's true strength lies in its ability to adapt and deploy available AI technologies rather than creating them from the ground up. In a recent interview, Bal expressed confidence that India will emerge as one of the largest consumers of AI globally. He emphasized that the country's perceived technological gap could actually serve as a catalyst for accelerated adoption. "India will do a much better job in taking the large language models which exist and actually tweaking and distilling them for our own usage, so that we have more fit-for-purpose models," he stated. Bal further suggested that the future of success in the AI field may hinge not on who creates the most powerful systems, but rather on who utilizes these models most effectively. He believes that this distinction will be critical as the industry evolves. As the conversation around sovereign AI gains momentum, Bal stressed the importance of ownership and control over data and infrastructure instead of merely focusing on technological nationalism. He warned that reliance on a single vendor could pose strategic risks for organizations striving for sovereignty. "If you are a sovereign AI-focused company, then you need a solution that belongs to you and is not locked in," Bal remarked, underscoring the necessity for data and control to remain within India. Red Hat, known for its open-source technologies such as Linux and the OpenShift platform, aims to present itself as a viable alternative to the proprietary AI ecosystems led by major global players. The company has established a strong presence in India, serving notable clients including UIDAI, Life Insurance, EPFO, State Bank of India, Jio Platforms, Bharti Airtel, and Tata Motors. In addition, Bal discussed a significant shift in work organization brought about by AI, introducing the concept of a "new workforce triangle" that encompasses humans, software agents, and robots. He believes that businesses must rethink their processes with this dynamic in mind and urged organizations and individuals to accelerate their adaptation to this new landscape. "The ones who will actually do this the fastest will be the ones who will have a massively advantageous position going forward. Please accelerate your transformations," he advised.