Indian AI Research Organisation (IAIRO): Paving the Way for AI Sovereignty

Indian AI Research Organisation (IAIRO) signifies a pivotal change in India’s approach to artificial intelligence with its official launch, transitioning from planning to practical execution. On 30 January 2026, in New Delhi, IAIRO aims to serve as the main driving force behind India’s AI goals, specifically by turning research and intellectual property into systems that can reach the entire population.

The initiative is backed by a position paper called “Sovereign AI for India’s Strategic Autonomy,” created by Dr Amit Sheth, the Founding Director of IAIRO. This document emphasises the necessity for India to bolster its strategic independence by crafting AI systems that are managed by national bodies and aligned with local objectives.

In accordance with the IndiaAI Mission, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and the Gujarat AI Action Plan, IAIRO will aim to push forward pioneering AI research, develop homegrown intellectual property, keep top AI talent in India, convert research into effective applications, and endorse data-driven policies for safe and reliable AI.

Unlike traditional large language models that are often seen as “monolithic and generalistic,” IAIRO will emphasise next-generation AI frameworks that are tailored, compact, and sector-specific. This includes neurosymbolic and hybrid agent-based systems designed to be cheaper to train and implement, geared towards critical enterprise and strategic uses.

Dr Amit Sheth remarked that as AI transforms economic competitiveness, governance capabilities, and national security, India is ensuring that its AI journey is built in India, tailored for India, and governed by Indian institutions. IAIRO has been formed to be the country’s long-term operational engine, turning national ambitions in AI into actionable systems, indigenous intellectual property, and lasting capabilities.

Dr Sheth reiterated that the organisation intends to move away from consumer-focused AI strategies that consume vast resources and are becoming standardised rapidly.

This stance aligns with recent comments made by Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw at the World Economic Forum, stressing the importance of India forging its own AI route, which includes developing smaller language models.

In response to these statements, Dr Sheth noted that the comments made by Union Minister Vaishnaw at Davos signify a definite turning point. India’s AI agenda has advanced beyond exploration to a phase that demands dedicated institutions, sustained investments, skilled talent, and the ability to translate research into practice. IAIRO has been established specifically to meet this critical requirement.

Formed through a public-private partnership and based in GIFT City, Gujarat, IAIRO consolidates cutting-edge research, collaborations within the ecosystem, talent cultivation, and real-world implementation under one unified national framework. The organisation’s goal is to develop a concentrated national capability for AI similar to the achievements of ISRO in the space sector, with a keen focus on verifiable results and technological sovereignty.

The founding team of IAIRO includes distinguished figures such as Prof. Ramesh Jain, Prof. Dev Niyogi (UNESCO Chair for AI, Water & Cities), Prof. Sanjay Chaudhary (Ahmedabad University), Juhi Bhatnagar (Growth Operator, VC, and Wharton MBA with experience in Snap, MuSigma, Swiggy, and Forj Capital), and Selvam Velmurugan (experienced engineering leader from Amazon, Netflix, Vulcan, BlinkRx), alongside Dr Amit Sheth. Additionally, IAIRO’s advisory board consists of prominent experts like Prof. Srinivasan Parthasarathy (Ohio State University), Prof. Vasant Hanover (Penn State University), L. Venkata Subramanium (Quantum AI and IBM), as well as top technical leaders from firms such as IBM Research, Google, DeepMind, OpenAI, Apple, and Amazon.

The IAIRO board features notable industry leaders, including Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman of the Mission Governing Board for the National Quantum Mission, Prof. Rajat Moona, Director of IIT Gandhinagar, and Smt. P. Bharati, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology in the Government of Gujarat. Recent board expansions will see Shri Sharad Sharma, Founder of iSPIRIT and former team member on India’s digital stack, and Shri Abhishek Singh, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, alongside Prof. Ramesh Jain, Director at UC-Irvine’s Institute of Health, and acknowledged as the Father of Multimedia.

As India gears up to host the AI Impact Summit, the introduction of IAIRO makes clear a larger national commitment to balance ambition with institutional development and innovation with sovereignty. This positioning allows India not only to participate in the global AI landscape but also to shape its own AI future.