India must develop AI sovereignty for effective cybersecurity, says Gaganyaan astronaut

India cannot rely on cybersecurity measures alone to protect its digital infrastructure without developing sovereign control over artificial intelligence technologies, according to Gaganyaan astronaut and IAF pilot Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair.

Addressing delegates at the Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit 2026, organized jointly by Kerala Startup Mission and F9 Infotech, Nair underscored the critical importance of AI sovereignty in an increasingly complex threat landscape. "Any amount of cybersecurity will be of limited value unless we own and control our AI technologies," he stated, highlighting the interconnection between technological independence and national security.

Nair pointed to the blurring lines between physical and digital warfare in contemporary geopolitics. Future conflicts and industrial competition will increasingly adopt a "whole-of-nation approach," he explained, making it difficult to distinguish where physical boundaries end and digital ones begin. This convergence, he warned, will have implications for every section of society.

The exponential growth in AI applications has made it progressively harder to differentiate authentic from fabricated content, Nair noted, adding another dimension to India's cybersecurity challenges. His remarks come amid growing global emphasis on technological self-reliance and reducing dependence on foreign AI systems.