Renu Jhamtani
Renu Jhamtani is a seasoned technology leader with over 22 years of IT expertise. Starting her career in Java/J2EE, she transitioned into full-stack development. Her extensive background spans both service and product-based organizations, where she has a track record of consistently delivering innovative customer solutions. Renu is highly adept at forming and leading high-performing teams to successfully address complex business challenges and create effective end-user solutions. She is passionate about coaching and developing emerging leaders. Currently, Renu holds two key roles at Red Hat: leading the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Sustaining Engineering team and proudly serving as the Red Hat Pune Site Leader.
Red Hat
Sr. Director
Session
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming a strategic asset for nations, influencing everything from defence and finance to education and public services. For a country as large, diverse, and digitally connected as India, relying solely on external AI technologies comes with risks. This is where the idea of Sovereign AI becomes important—not as a move toward isolation, but as a way to build and control India’s own AI capabilities, data ecosystems, and technological future.
India has already demonstrated its ability to build systems at a global scale. Platforms like Aadhaar, UPI, and ONDC have reshaped digital infrastructure; the Bhashini initiative is enabling AI to understand Indian languages; and the IndiaAI Mission is driving national ambition. With one of the world’s largest young technical workforces, India is uniquely positioned to shape the next wave of AI innovation.
This session will highlight why Sovereign AI is essential for India’s long-term growth and security, and what steps can help us move in that direction.
Key takeaways include:
The four pillars of Sovereign AI—local models, open-source collaboration, data sovereignty, and hardware capability.
Why national security, economic growth, and cultural representation depend on building AI locally.
A viewpoint on how India can build AI systems that reflect its languages, values, and ambitions using open source