BEYOND TECHNOLOGY MONOPOLIES:

Abstract

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly develops, standard global frameworks remain expensive and concentrated within a few Western tech monopolies, often leaving developing nations behind. This paper examines India's vital role in architecting a distinct "Global South Model of AI" that prioritizes affordability, inclusivity, and public welfare. Rather than acting as a passive consumer, India leverages its proven Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) philosophy to build an accessible, public-good technology ecosystem. Central to this vision is the state-backed IndiaAI Mission, which expands sovereign computing capacity, alongside the "Trusted AI Commons"—an open-source repository of datasets and language models designed specifically for resource-constrained countries. This structural shift was highlighted at the India–AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, positioning India as a strategic bridge for technical cooperation across Africa and Southeast Asia. Built on the principles of equitable progress, India's model challenges commercial monopolies by championing open science, algorithmic transparency, and energy-efficient AI systems tailored for low-resource environments. Furthermore, India's regulatory frameworks, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, offer a unique mechanism for ethical data governance outside traditional US-China rivalries. Ultimately, by shifting the global narrative from corporate profits to scalable public utility, India provides the Global South with a reproducible blueprint for digital sovereignty. This approach ensures that emerging economies can leverage AI for sustainable socio-economic development without sacrificing their technological independence.