Adani warns IIT students: '90% of semiconductors imported, one sanction can freeze our digital economy'

Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani has warned that India’s dependence on imports for critical technologies and energy could leave the country vulnerable to global disruptions.

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Speaking at the 75th foundation day of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, Adani said the world was at a “major inflection point” as conventional wars give way to technology-driven battles of power.

“The wars that we have to fight today are often invisible. They are fought in server farms and not in trenches. The weapons are algorithms, not guns. The empires are not built on land, they are built in data centers. The armies are botnets and not battalions,” he said.

Adani highlighted India’s dependence on imported technology and energy. He said 90% of the country’s semiconductors are imported, making its digital economy susceptible to sanctions or supply shocks.

“One disruption or sanction can freeze our digital economy,” he said. He also pointed out India’s energy vulnerability, noting that 85% of its oil is imported. “A single geopolitical incident can restrict our growth,” he cautioned.

Adani raised concerns over data sovereignty, warning that when data leaves India’s borders, “every bit of this data becomes raw material for foreign algorithms, creates foreign wealth and strengthens foreign dominance.”

He added that many of India’s critical military systems are also sourced from abroad, exposing national security to the “political will and supply chains of other nations.”

Calling for self-reliance, Adani urged students to see themselves as the “next generation of freedom fighters” for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

“The freedom we must now fight for is the freedom of self-reliance, the freedom of Atmanirbharta,” he said. “Eighty years ago, young men and women fought for the right to govern our land. That same fight continues. Only the weapons have changed.”