In the consumer internet era, startups could scale quickly without heavy R&D. But how is the age of AI fundamentally different? And can India truly build its own Sovereign AI stack?In this episode of AI Futures, host Anirudh Suri speaks with Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Professor at IIT Bombay and Principal Investigator of BharatGen to unpack why research and academia are now the backbone of innovation in AI, and how India can build its own AI stack.We address:- What lessons can we learn from China’s AI rise and the “DeepSeek moment”?- How is India building sovereign AI models through initiatives like BharatGen?- Can resource constraints actually drive better AI systems—and if so, how?- What are India’s core strengths in AI today—adoption, scale, and ecosystem?- Why is a “whole-of-nation” approach critical for AI development?- How could AI innovation in the Global South evolve differently from the rest of the world?From China’s decade-long investments to India’s unique, resource-constrained approach, this conversation explores what it really takes to build meaningful AI startups today.🔔 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now.----The AI Futures Podcast series, hosted by Anirudh Suri, is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India as the intellectual prelude to the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held from Feb 16 - 20, 2026 in New Delhi, India.Follow the India AI Impact Summit 2026: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/About BharatGen: https://bharatgen.com/About the Guest: Ganesh Ramakrishnan is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and a leading voice in India’s AI research ecosystem. He serves as the Principal Investigator of BharatGen, a government-backed initiative bringing together top Indian institutions to build large-scale, multilingual generative AI models for India. He has been recognized by Forbes India and Accel among the top Indian minds in AI globally. About Anirudh Suri, Host of the Podcast:Anirudh Suri is a non-resident scholar with Carnegie India, where his research and writing focus on technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitics. He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations, and host of The Great Tech Game Podcast. He is also the Managing Partner at India Internet Fund, a US and India based technology-focused venture capital fund. The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My Follow Anirudh here:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: (http://www.anirudhsuri.com/) Book and Podcast: (http://www.greattechgame.com/)#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #AnirudhSuri #AIStack #SovereignAI #AI #IndiaAI #BharatGen #DigitalIndia #IITBombay #IndianStartups #MakeInIndia #AIIndia #TechIndia #researchanddevelopment #AIStartups #StartupEcosystem #Innovation #TechEntrepreneur #DeepTechStartups #GlobalSouth #AIInnovation #TechPolicy #AILeadership #Geopolitics #TheGreatTechGame #TGTGPodcast #Podcast

In this episode of the AI Futures Podcast, host Anirudh sat down with Didier Nkurikiyimfura from Smart Africa, who shares insights from across the continent, spanning governments, startups, and regional institutions working at the frontlines of digital transformation.This episode unpacks:- How African countries are thinking about AI today, in terms of both opportunities and risks?- How does Africa see AI as an accelerator for development, from healthcare to education to financial systems?- What are the structural challenges the continent faces?- How are initiatives like Smart Africa are working to build a single digital market across 50+ countries?- Why regulation, data governance, and policy harmonization are central to scaling AI across the continent- What could meaningful India–Africa collaboration on AI could look like—from compute to skilling to institutions?- How can Africa’s young population become an important force shaping the future of AI?They discuss the broader idea of the “Great Tech Game”—and whether AI presents a rare opportunity for regions that missed earlier industrial waves to redefine their trajectory. This is a conversation about markets, power, demographics, and development—and why no serious discussion about the future of AI can ignore Africa.🎧 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now.----Follow the India AI Impact Summit 2026: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/About the Guest: Didier Nkurikiyimfura is the Director of Technology and Innovation at the Smart Africa Secretariat. As the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO), he supports Smart Africa on the overall policy and regulatory matters, organizational strategy, programme and project management, operations, partnership and resource mobilization. He also leads the implementation of several cross-border tech projects in Africa, such as the intra-African cross-border fiber connectivity, increasing Africa’s Internet affordability and accessibility, regional Data Centers, Smart Cities, African entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems strengthening, interoperable pan-african Digital ID and the Smart Africa scholarship fund among others, with the ultimate goal of contributing to Africa’s economic growth and job creation.About Anirudh Suri, Host of the Podcast:Anirudh Suri is a non-resident scholar with Carnegie India, where his research and writing focus on technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitics. He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations, and host of The Great Tech Game Podcast. He is also the Managing Partner at India Internet Fund, a US and India based technology-focused venture capital fund. The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My Follow Anirudh here:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: (http://www.anirudhsuri.com/) Book and Podcast: (http://www.greattechgame.com/)#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #AI #Africa #AIAfrica #AfricaRising #DigitalAfrica #SmartAfrica #AfricanInnovation #AfricaTech #StartupAfrica

In this episode of the AI Futures Podcast, host Anirudh Suri speaks with Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras and chief architect of India’s first indigenous microprocessor, Shakti. A recipient of the Padma Shri, he has been at the forefront of India’s AI and technology research.This episode explores India’s journey from political independence to its goal of technological sovereignty by 2047, and what it will actually take to get there.We unpack the following questions:- Why does AI demand a renewed focus on R&D and academia?- What makes AI fundamentally different from previous technology waves?- Can India build true AI sovereignty, and why does it matter?- Can frugal innovation become India’s competitive advantage in AI?- Do we really need large, general AI models or should we focus on domain-specific AI?- How can India avoid an AI divide, both globally and within the country?- How do we regulate, normalize, and manage AI's impact?- What role should public trust, adoption, and "Swadeshi" strategy play in India’s AI future?From deep research to startup ecosystems, this is a wide-ranging conversation on how India should move towards its goal of attaining technological sovereignty by 2047.🎧 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now.---Follow the India AI Impact Summit 2026: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/About the Guest: Prof. V. Kamakoti is the Director of IIT Madras. He is widely recognized as the chief architect of Shakti, India’s first indigenous microprocessor initiative. He has served on the national AI task force and as a member of the National Security Advisory Board. In 2026, he was awarded the Padma Shri.About Anirudh Suri, Host of the Podcast:Anirudh Suri is a non-resident scholar with Carnegie India, where his research and writing focus on technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitics. He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations, and host of The Great Tech Game Podcast. He is also the Managing Partner at India Internet Fund, a US and India based technology-focused venture capital fund. The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My Follow Anirudh here:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: (http://www.anirudhsuri.com/) Book and Podcast: (http://www.greattechgame.com/)#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #TGTGPodcast #AnirudhSuri #AI #TheGreatTechGame #kamakotitv #r&d #researchanddevelopment #aiinnovation #iit #iitmadras #AIResearch #DeepTech #MachineLearning #IndiaAI #TechSovereignty #DigitalIndia #AtmanirbharBharat #IndianTech #MakeInIndia #Swadeshi #startup