Anthropic's abrupt suspension of its most advanced artificial intelligence models for foreign users, following a US government order citing national security concerns, marks a turning point in the global AI race. It acknowledges AI tools as strategic assets similar to advanced defence systems. Until now, Washington’s controls focused on AI chips. The Anthropic episode signals a consequential shift towards restricting access to the models that run on the chips, too. The message is unmistakable: the US intends to decide who gets access to frontier AI capabilities and on what terms.
This has profound implications for countries like India. The assumption that global markets will always provide access to cutting-edge AI is proving increasingly fragile. As geopolitical competition intensifies, both the US and China are likely to treat their best models as critical national assets. The rest of the world risks being relegated to second-tier technologies and delayed access. Against this backdrop, the recently announced India-France AI partnership acquires greater significance. The Innovation Roadmap 2030, with its emphasis on “trusted AI”, research collaboration, privacy-preserving data frameworks and emerging technologies, is praiseworthy. It is an early recognition that technological sovereignty cannot be built through dependence on a single ecosystem.
India must also be realistic in acknowledging that partnerships alone will not deliver AI leadership. The real challenge is building capabilities across the entire AI stack—compute, data infrastructure, foundational models, talent and applications. While Europe is investing in sovereign AI and China is deploying massive capital, India remains underfunded and heavily dependent on foreign platforms. It is also true that a purely self-reliant approach is neither affordable nor practical. India must pursue a three-pronged strategy—deepen partnerships with trusted partners such as France, invest aggressively in domestic infrastructure, and leverage its vast data and user base to secure reliable access to frontier technologies.
This debate will inevitably extend to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. India must seek assurances that strategic technology partnerships cannot be disrupted overnight by unilateral decisions. Trust, after all, is never a one-way street. The AI age is creating a new hierarchy of nations. Those that control the best models will shape economic growth, scientific discovery and military power. India cannot afford to remain a mere consumer in this emerging order. It must become a co-creator.
