New Delhi, March 7 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the Modi government of compromising India’s digital sovereignty, alleging that a recent agreement with the United States could allow foreign technology companies greater access to Indian data.
In a message posted on his WhatsApp channel, Gandhi said control over data would play a decisive role in determining leadership in the rapidly growing field of Artificial Intelligence. “India’s future in AI depends on who controls our data,” Gandhi said.
The Congress leader alleged that the government had entered into an arrangement that could effectively hand over Indian data to foreign entities. “By signing a deal that effectively hands Indian data to the United States and gives foreign tech companies a free pass, our compromised PM has sold out India’s digital sovereignty and put the future of millions of Indian jobs at risk,” he said.
Gandhi’s remarks come amid growing global debate over data governance, cross-border data flows and the role of data in training Artificial Intelligence systems. As countries race to build advanced AI capabilities, access to large datasets is increasingly seen as a strategic resource that can influence economic competitiveness and technological leadership.
India has been working on regulatory frameworks to manage the rapidly expanding digital ecosystem, including the enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and initiatives aimed at boosting domestic technological capacity.
The government has maintained that international collaboration and partnerships with global technology companies are necessary to accelerate innovation and strengthen India’s digital economy. However, opposition leaders have repeatedly raised concerns about data security, privacy and the long-term implications of cross-border data arrangements.
The issue is likely to intensify political debate over technology policy, data governance and employment prospects in India’s growing digital and AI sectors.
