Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, stated today that sovereignty in AI means having control over the design, deployment, and governance of AI systems. He made this statement while participating in a session titled "Scaling Impact from India's Sovereign AI and Data" at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. He clarified that sovereign AI does not mean working in isolation. He emphasized that AI should be used to address real challenges in healthcare, education, agriculture, and financial inclusion, enabling citizens to access services in their own languages and improve their quality of life. The session focused on how India can transition from being primarily a consumer of Artificial Intelligence to becoming a creator of AI systems with global relevance. It highlighted the need to address gaps in deep research talent and long-term innovation investment.