Frustration is brewing among India’s tech professionals. Many express their sentiments on platforms like Blind, where a Microsoft employee noted, “Most Indians succeed not because of India but despite India.” This highlights a growing trend of discontent within the tech community.
At the recent India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi positioned India as a future leader in artificial intelligence. This event was significant; it was the first of its kind for a country in the Global South and featured leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Modi’s vision is ambitious: he aims for India to rank among the top three AI superpowers. He envisions a shift from merely consuming AI to actively creating it, framing this goal within the broader ambition of “Viksit Bharat 2047.” However, a freshly released survey paints a different picture.
According to the survey from Blind, only 5% of tech professionals consider India a leader in AI, revealing a stark disconnect between government aspirations and industry perceptions. The majority—62%—highlight the lacking homegrown research and development (R&D) as a major barrier. This concern suggests that the country may continue to rely heavily on foreign technology.
In the survey conducted from March to April 2026, 1,723 professionals shared their views on India’s AI competitiveness. While 53% believe India trails behind its global counterparts, a small fraction, 16%, think it is catching up. The rest are uncertain or see the nation as mid-tier in the landscape.
This skepticism arises despite the government’s massive investments, including $17.5 billion from Microsoft and $15 billion from Google, aimed at bolstering AI infrastructure. Yet, only 5% of respondents think India is currently leading in this tech arena.
The results of this survey are valuable, especially given India’s current digital initiatives. Beyond just financial support, professionals indicate there are deeper structural issues. A notable 62% named the absence of homegrown innovation as the core problem. Others pointed to a lack of long-term funding and regulatory clarity as further hurdles.
Concerns about India’s future in AI are pronounced. Most experts, 55%, warn that if India doesn’t catch up soon, it risks becoming overly dependent on foreign AI systems, which could diminish its global standing. A small group of responders, 5%, noted the potential rise in issues like fraud and misinformation utilizing advanced technologies like deepfakes.
This situation reflects a broader anxiety that India might stay stuck as a consumer of Silicon Valley innovations instead of fostering its own original technology. Companies such as TCS and Infosys, long viewed as service providers, are under pressure to lead in innovation rather than extend the outsourcing model that has defined their operations.
Ultimately, the path forward for India’s AI ambitions requires more than just investment; it calls for a cultural shift in innovation, R&D, and an emphasis on building a unique technological ecosystem. Understanding these challenges can help reshape India’s role in the global tech landscape.
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