Vembu warns against Big Tech for AI

Sridhar Vembu used an appearance at ImagiNxt 2026 in Mumbai on May 23 to argue that India should not build its AI future on foreign platforms. The Zoho founder said dependence on large U.S. technology companies for AI would recreate older patterns of economic dependence, according to public video and social posts from the event. His remarks were delivered as India’s government and private sector push to expand domestic AI capacity. ImagiNxt said its inaugural edition was held on May 22-23 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and focused on AI, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies. ### What exactly did Vembu warn about? Sridhar Vembu said India should be careful about building on top of AI systems controlled by foreign technology companies, according to event coverage and a Republic World interview clip posted on May 23. The warning centered on dependence rather than a single product launch or policy proposal. Republic World’s posted material described Vembu as cautioning against reliance on companies such as Google and Microsoft and urging India to build sovereign AI capability. (imaginxt.in) The social briefing tied to the event said he likened that dependence to “colonial economics,” framing the issue as control over foundational technology rather than only software procurement. (youtube.com) ### Why did he use the language of sovereignty and colonial economics? Vembu has made similar arguments in recent months, saying countries should think about technological dependence in strategic terms. Earlier reporting by Financial Express and News18 said he compared Big Tech to the East India Company and called for technology sovereignty and digital independence. (youtube.com) Those earlier comments help place the ImagiNxt remarks in a broader pattern. In February, Economic Times and Storyboard18 reported that Vembu had also argued India should avoid trying to match the biggest large language models head-on and instead focus on smaller, more efficient approaches suited to local constraints. (financialexpress.com) ### What did he say India should build instead? Vembu’s argument, as described in the event-related material, was for sovereign AI models built with local talent. That formulation puts the emphasis on domestic capability — engineers, data, infrastructure and applications designed for Indian use cases — rather than dependence on foreign model providers. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Zoho has been part of a wider Indian industry discussion about self-reliance in AI. Fortune India reported in February that Vembu, after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and technology executives, said the country should work on challenges relevant to India and ensure the technology benefits every Indian while attaining self-reliance. (youtube.com) ### What was ImagiNxt 2026? ImagiNxt 2026 described itself as India’s Festival of Technology and Innovation and said its inaugural edition brought together global technology leaders, enterprises, investors, policymakers, startups, researchers and creators. The event website and a Hindustan Times event report said the conference ran on May 22-23 in Mumbai. Hindustan Times said the event was hosted with Maharashtra Tourism and featured more than 150 speakers. (fortuneindia.com) The report said the agenda included AI, deep tech, digital infrastructure and startups, placing Vembu’s comments inside a broader policy and industry discussion about India’s technology base. (imaginxt.in) ### What comes next after the remarks? The public record available on May 24 shows Vembu’s comments circulating mainly through event video and social posts rather than a formal policy paper or company announcement. That means the next concrete step to watch is whether Zoho, Indian industry groups or government officials tie the sovereignty argument to specific AI programs, model releases or procurement choices. (hindustantimes.com) May 23 is also the date attached to the Republic World interview clip now carrying the remarks, while ImagiNxt’s published schedule places the conference over May 22-23 in Mumbai. Any follow-up is likely to come from those participants or from Zoho’s own public channels. (youtube.com)