Amid growing discussions around technological independence, Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu has urged India to focus on building a complete technology ecosystem rather than concentrating only on artificial intelligence.
The debate intensified after restrictions were reportedly imposed on access to Anthropic’s Mythos 5 and Fable 5 AI models for foreign users, including the company’s own employees. The development triggered conversations in India about reducing dependence on foreign AI platforms and accelerating the creation of indigenous technologies.
Commenting on the issue, Vembu said the challenge extends beyond AI and reflects a broader need for sovereign technology capabilities. According to him, AI represents only a small part of a much larger technology foundation that India needs to develop.
He stated, “AI is the tip of a whole pyramid of capabilities, most of it we don’t have and we don’t even hear about.” He further added, “Most of those capabilities are not very expensive to acquire (unlike AI itself) – they require time and talent, and far smaller amounts of money than AI.”
Drawing a comparison with Japan, Vembu noted that while Japanese companies may not be leading the development of advanced AI models, they play a critical role in supplying technologies required for AI data centres and related infrastructure. He highlighted the importance of building expertise across multiple layers of the technology ecosystem.
Vembu called for a nationwide effort to strengthen every level of the technology stack while continuing investment in AI research and development. “I would recommend a broad national effort at every layer of the tech pyramid. We must do AI R&D but we must not lose sight of the pyramid,” he said.
This is not the first time Vembu has advocated technology self-reliance. In 2025, he proposed a 10-year National Mission for Tech Resilience focused on key areas such as operating systems, processors, semiconductor manufacturing, and related technologies.
The conversation around sovereign technology has gained momentum following the restrictions on Mythos 5 and Fable 5. Vembu previously argued that technology has become central to national security and sovereignty, stressing the importance of building domestic capabilities rather than relying heavily on foreign technology providers.
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