AI computing is as critical to India's future as oil and gas, and the country must invest deeply in developing its own computing infrastructure to avoid dependence on foreign nations, according to Madhav Sheth, founder and CEO of AI+ and NxtQuantum Shift Technologies.
"AI computing is like oil and gas, which means it is extremely important and necessary for the country if you want to innovate and grow from here. Until unless you are dependent on foreign countries, you'll never be able to grow," Sheth said in an exclusive interview with Free Press Journal.
His comments come just a day ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, set to begin on February 16 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where global leaders and tech giants will convene to discuss the future of artificial intelligence.
Computing power: India's wake-up call
The entrepreneur, who previously scaled Realme to 90 countries with revenues of ₹44,000 crore, emphasised that AI computing represents a strategic resource comparable to energy security. "This is like another oil and gas industry, wherein we have to invest deeply on research, on development and then the competition for the masses and then scale it globally," he stated.
Sheth acknowledged India's current challenges, including the global GPU shortage and infrastructure bottlenecks, but framed these as opportunities rather than obstacles. "Whenever there's a supply shortage, it's a wakeup call for any industry. There's an opportunity. If there's a huge demand and there's a shortfall of supply, what does that mean? It's an opportunity for the industry to grow," he explained.
From consumer to creator economy
The AI+ founder outlined a vision for India's transformation from being merely a consumer of technology to becoming a creator and exporter. "We need to move from consumer of technology to creator of technology and then eventually exporter of technology," Sheth emphasized, describing the upcoming AI Summit as a potential "foundation stone" for this transition.
He highlighted India's unique advantages, particularly its young population and vast talent pool. "India has the youngest population in the world. It is a huge talent pool which can be explored," he said, adding that if any AI model can work in India's diverse and scalable market, it can succeed anywhere globally.
Starting small, thinking big
When asked about overcoming infrastructure challenges, Sheth proposed leveraging existing computing power in smartphones as a starting point. "We can start with the real use cases, building up the real use cases, what the people can use smaller computing powers like smartphones, accessible to a lot of people and make real life use cases and build up their computing from there," he suggested.
The technology leader stressed that developing indigenous AI capabilities is "not a sprint, it's a marathon" requiring years of deep research and investment. However, he remained optimistic about India's prospects, calling the current moment a crucial awakening for the nation's tech ambitions.
With the India AI Impact Summit bringing together heads of government, global CEOs including Sam Altman and Sundar Pichai, and policymakers, Sheth's oil and gas analogy serves as a stark reminder of the strategic importance of AI sovereignty in an increasingly digital world.
