New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- As the Indian government prepares to release a comprehensive consultation paper on AI regulation, data control and infrastructure ownership have emerged as critical priorities. With nations racing to build sovereign AI, true technological independence hinges on controlling the underlying cloud power, chips, and data centers that drive AI models. To address growing concerns over sensitive data and system access, MeitY has set up a committee to frame a sovereign-cloud policy. Mint explains what sovereign AI entails, why India needs a sovereign cloud, and whether domestic firms must build it.

AI sovereignty is often understood as a nation's ability to develop or control its own AI technology and models. But that is onl...