In this episode of Interpreting India, host Shruti Mittal is joined by Kailash Nadh, chief technology officer of Zerodha and co-founder of FOSS United, to provide a technologist’s perspective on one of the most consequential debates shaping the future of artificial intelligence: the open versus closed source AI debate. Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving AI landscape, this conversation examines risks, rewards, and the strategic implications of open-source AI for India.
In this episode of Interpreting India, host Shruti Mittal is joined by Kailash Nadh, chief technology officer of Zerodha and co-founder of FOSS United, to provide a technologist’s perspective on one of the most consequential debates shaping the future of artificial intelligence: the open versus closed source AI debate. Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving AI landscape, this conversation examines risks, rewards, and the strategic implications of open-source AI for India.
The episode opens with an in-depth discussion about the value of open source as a model of development and how the definitional contours of open-source AI differ from those of traditional open-source software. The discussion also explores the characteristics and challenges that distinguish open-source AI models from conventional software development approaches.
The discussion goes on to address recent strategic shifts in the AI industry towards more open development, sparked by developments like DeepSeek's open-source R1 model and leaked internal assessments suggesting that open-source communities may be outpacing tech giants.
The discussion also explores the complex trade-offs between open and closed AI development. While open-source models offer transparency, democratization, and innovation benefits, they also present cybersecurity vulnerabilities and potential national security risks. Nadh addresses concerns about jailbreaking vulnerabilities in open models, using DeepSeek's recent security lapses as an example, while also examining the limitations and risks of closed proprietary systems.
Nadh also provides his perspective on India-specific considerations, including the government's IndiaAI Mission and the decision to develop a homegrown large language model, and discuss the strategic implications of India's approach, which is not expected to be open-source at first, and the potential for India to make meaningful progress in driving open-source AI development as a matter of policy.
Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
In this episode of Interpreting India, Nidhi Singh is joined by Raymond Ononiwu, founder and CEO of Horus Labs, for a conversation that cuts through the noise around compute, data centres, and AI infrastructure to ask a more fundamental question: who is this all actually being built for?
Nidhi Singh, Raymond Ononiwu
In this episode of Interpreting India, Vrinda Sahai is joined by Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki, Advisor for Trade and Economic Security at the Jacques Delors Institute, for a detailed conversation on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement. After decades of slow-moving negotiations, both sides have arrived at what is shaping up to be the most ambitious trade deal India has ever signed. Nicolas unpacks what is in the agreement, what is missing, and what its success will depend on in the years ahead.
Vrinda Sahai, Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki
In this episode of Interpreting India, Nidhi Singh is joined by Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and one of the very few people to have attended all four global AI summits, from Bletchley Park to Delhi. The conversation traces the arc of AI summit diplomacy, what has been accomplished, where the gaps remain, and what the process reveals about how different parts of the world are thinking about a technology that is moving faster than any single government or institution can keep up with.
Nidhi Singh, Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar
In this episode of Interpreting India, Nidhi Singh is joined by Nikhil Narendran, Partner at Trilegal, for a conversation on two of the most pressing issues shaping India's digital future: data protection and AI governance. From the nuts and bolts of India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act to deeper questions about regulating artificial intelligence, Nikhil brings the perspective of a technology lawyer who is not just advising on these issues but actively living them.
Nidhi Singh, Nikhil Narendran
In this episode of Interpreting India, Srinath Raghavan speaks with Gaddam Dharmendra, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie India and India’s former Ambassador to Iran about the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran and what it means for the region. The conversation looks at Iran’s response to sustained attacks, the wider impact on energy markets and regional stability, and the changing relationships between Iran, the Gulf countries, and global powers. It also reflects on India’s position as it balances its ties across West Asia while navigating strategic and economic pressures, and what lies ahead as the conflict continues to shape the region.
Srinath Raghavan, Gaddam Dharmendra
