How Can India Take Charge of its Tech Destiny Amidst Geopolitical Storms
Founder, Director of Avaali Solutions Pvt Ltd, Ms. Srividya Kannan’s article published in cxotoday website.
At this moment in history, the world’s biggest countries, especially the US and China, are in a major competition over technology. This is causing problems with how things are made and delivered, and everyone is trying to be the leader in artificial intelligence (AI)
Amidst all these geopolitical tensions around the world, it could be highly risky for India to depend on external vendors on technology, as was seen in a few recent examples.
In August 2025, Microsoft suddenly cut off its software services to a big Indian oil company, Nayara Energy. This happened because of a mix-up with some international rules. While the service was turned back on, it was a scary reminder that if a foreign company controls our important systems, even for something as critical as energy, it can be a risk to our country’s security and daily operations.
Another incident occurred back in March 2024 when Google removed popular Indian apps like Bharat Matrimony, Naukri, and Shaadi.com from its app store. Google did this because the apps weren’t following its rules on how to accept payments, which would have forced them to give Google a large cut of their sales.
This move caused a big uproar. India’s IT Minister said this kind of action was “not acceptable” and promised that the government would step in to protect Indian companies.
Google said it was just enforcing its global rules fairly. But the whole situation highlighted a bigger issue: who really has control over India’s digital space? It has led to stronger calls for India to create its own alternatives, like a homegrown app store, so that we are more self-reliant and not dependent on foreign companies.
On that note, Avaali, a leading technology solutions company specializing in cost optimization and margin improvement for mid- and large-sized enterprises, hosted an exclusive roundtable to focus on the urgency for India to own its tech destiny.
Talking about how India can own its tech destiny, Founder and CEO of Avaali, Srividya Kannan said, “Indian enterprises must prioritise homegrown solutions, not just for cost savings but for control, speed, and innovation tailored to our unique needs. With strong government support, incentives for Make in India solutions, and a focus on intellectual property and innovation, we can create a self-reliant tech ecosystem that serves India while setting global benchmarks.
“Global supply chain disruptions and the cost of dependency have made it imperative for India to prioritise homegrown solutions tailored to its unique needs and realities. We need to build a cadre of Indian consulting and technology firms, focus on process automation for resilience, and invest in innovation to create a self-reliant tech ecosystem. Let’s not just aim to catch up—let’s leap ahead and make ‘Made in India, Made for the World’ a reality, Kannan noted.
The issues of Indian tech startups
India faces several big challenges in becoming truly self-reliant in technology. A major hurdle is the mindset; companies and the government are used to sticking with well-known foreign brands, making it hard for homegrown options to get a fair chance. There’s also a lack of strong local consulting firms to guide businesses, and our tech industry focuses more on providing services rather than creating its own innovative products.
Dyuti Raj Anshu, Global Procurement Head, Himalaya Wellness said, “In India we believe in cheap and low quality tech products. The interface of which is also not good.Thus, there is always a trust factor when it comes to Indian tech products.”
What can be done?
To succeed, India needs better digital infrastructure and cybersecurity. Stronger teamwork between industry, schools, and the government is crucial, similar to other countries. Current policies need to offer more incentives for private companies to choose Indian tech and should support software creation, not just hardware. Finally, without great success stories and easy access to funding, Indian innovations struggle to gain trust and scale up globally.
Citing an example on how China is competing in the global market, Neeraj Agrawal, COO of Tata Projects suggested, “Collaboration with government and among organizations is essential. We need to first ‘Make for India’ and then export from India. China provides a compelling example of this approach, while Japan offers a fantastic model of how to build technological excellence through deep industry-government partnerships. Without such collaborative mechanisms and a clear domestic-first strategy, our innovations will struggle to achieve scale.”
Pratima Ram, Independent Director on Corporate Boards, emphasized the foundational requirements for tech sovereignty, stating, “For India to truly own its tech destiny, we need to build strong computing power and cybersecurity infrastructure. Protecting our digital assets and maintaining data sovereignty are non-negotiable pillars and will determine whether our homegrown solutions can compete globally.”