From Digital Scale to Digital Trust

From Digital India to an intelligent India, the country is entering a defining phase. Artificial intelligence is no longer experimental; it is becoming foundational to governance, industry, and daily life. With adoption accelerating across sectors, India’s AI market is expected to multiply rapidly over the next few years. The ingredients are visible: digital public infrastructure, entrepreneurial energy, and a vast, young talent base.

But growth without trust is fragile.

Recent observations from the Supreme Court of India regarding WhatsApp and Meta highlight a deeper question about consent in the platform era. For millions, digital services are essential utilities. They enable communication, commerce, healthcare, education, and civic participation. If participation comes with a “take it or leave it” agreement, can it truly be called voluntary?

The Court’s reaffirmation that privacy is a fundamental right lands at a crucial moment. Data is gathered at enormous scale, often invisibly, while users struggle to grasp how it is processed, shared, or monetized. Lengthy terms and conditions cannot substitute for genuine clarity. Trust must be engineered....

It grows when systems are transparent, when accountability is visible, and when technology providers treat citizens not as data points but as individuals with dignity. Strong safeguards, meaningful choices, and responsible innovation are what convert digital reach into digital legitimacy.

India’s opportunity is historic. The nation can demonstrate that rapid AI expansion and rights protection are not opposing goals. They can reinforce each other.

The next leap will belong to those who build intelligence with integrity.