Rajat Khare Explains How Stopping Brain Drain Can Lead India AI
Author : Paula Stokes | Published On : 24 Jan 2026
Rajat Khare’s Dream of the AI Future in India
India is moving ahead with the idea of its own large language model (LLM), and Rajat Khare, the man behind Boundary Holding, is advocating for the upbringing of local AI talent. He considers India very close to being a global AI giant—but only if the country could solve the issue of brain drain that has been persistent over the years.
India’s Role in the Global AI Transition
We are moving into a new technological age that is going to be dominated by AI. India is the country with the richest resource of professionals like engineers, data scientists, and IT experts who have the skills to lead the transition. However, a large part of this skilled labor—almost 15% of the global AI workforce—is working outside the country.
Khare sees this scenario as limiting the potential of India:
“This abundance is not serving India’s technological interests as it ideally should,” says Rajat Khare, a venture capitalist and the founder of Boundary Holding, a Luxembourg-based deep-tech investment firm.
Factors behind Outflow of India’s AI Talent
Countries like the US and Canada continue to be the preferred destinations for Indian professionals and researchers every year wanting to get access to better research facilities, higher salaries, and global exposure. Although this trend has always been one of the main reasons for the flow of innovations to other countries, it has also had a negative impact on India’s ability to create and sustain innovation ecosystems.
Rajat Khare is of the view that the challenge is not a thing to happen for sure—it is a type of gap that can easily be rectified by Indian government and industry through:
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Encouraging stronger collaborations between academia and industry
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Providing better funding for AI and deep-tech research
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Creating a conducive atmosphere for innovators and researchers
“India’s tech talent pool has been one of the greatest assets, but its biggest portion is gradually leaving for better compensation,” Khare highlights.
The Rise of Indian AI
Digital infrastructure in India is changing quickly. The government’s plan to construct a native large language model with the support of more than 18,600 GPUs is a big step toward AI independence.
The Indian way of AI is different from the West in that it specifically aims at building multilingual intelligence. With 22 languages officially recognized and numerous dialects, India is in a perfect spot to design AI systems that are culturally sensitive and can serve different linguistic persons.
Thus, India not only enhances its own technology landscape but also obtains a competitive advantage in the area of inclusive AI.
Measures That India Has to Take to Hold Talent
In order to prevent the top AI talent from leaving and to make India a global innovation centre, five main actions are required:
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Increase in AI Research Funding
Establish more centers of excellence mainly in Tier-2 cities with the aim to decentralize innovation.
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Create Incentives to Stay
Launch AI fellowships, PhD scholarships, and competitive pay structures for researchers.
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Support Deep-Tech Startups
Facilitate the birth of AI-based businesses by granting them easier access to venture capital and mentoring networks thus creating win-win partnerships.
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Collaborate Globally
Host Indian researchers working overseas to participate remotely in national projects.
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Showcase India’s Ambition
Events such as the 2026 Global AI Summit in India might be a strong indicator of the country’s willingness to be the one to call the shots in the global AI agenda.
The Power of Multilingual AI
Asia’s largest asset in AI could be its diversity not only in languages but in cultures as well. A model which is able to comprehend and answer in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, etc. and not just in a correct grammatical way but also in a right contextual way can greatly change the way AI caters to the real humans.
Such models can:
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Providing rural users and small businesses with more power
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Delivering government services more efficiently
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Making AI technology available to non-English-speaking people as well
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Thus, India’s AI, in addition to being economically powerful, is also socially uplifting.
From Brain Drain to Brain Gain
The country’s technological footprint on the world stage is changing—it is no longer just a supplier of tech workers, but it is a creator of global innovations. The migration of talented people from India which was once seen as a natural occurrence now looks like a challenge that can be overcome by decisive policy, adequate funding, and a visionary approach.
“The government has been pushing AI,” Rajat Khare says, “but the real challenge will be how successfully we keep and build up our workforce. That will determine if we are in the forefront or playing catch-up.”
If the country backs its brains with thoroughgoing investment, gives its creators the freedom to operate, and recognizes its adventurers, India can lead the AI revolution worldwide—not just as a participant but as a trailblazer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the role of Boundary Holding in AI investment?
Boundary Holding, a company established by Rajat Khare, backs the most pioneering and promising technological and AI startups that are significant not only in the medical industry but also in the public and personal security sectors and transportation.
2. What is the long-term vision of India concerning AI?
India's vision encompasses a self-sufficient AI ecosystem, being the primary source of global innovations and shifting the character of the country from that of a tech outsourcing hub to one that produces AI products of world class quality.
3. How does brain drain adversely affect India's AI industry?
The term 'brain drain' refers to the outflow of the best AI scientists and technicians who go to work in foreign countries thereby negatively impacting India's innovation ecosystem and making technological progress in the country slower than it would have otherwise been.
4. What measures can India implement to curb AI brain drain?
To keep the best researchers and scientists from leaving the country, India can undertake several actions such as increasing research funding, establishing strong industry-academia collaboration, creating AI-focused fellowships, and offering attractive salaries.
5. What is the distinguishing feature of India's AI initiative?
The projects of India in the field of AI are directed towards the multilingual capabilities which are a reflection of the country's cultural and linguistic diversity thus facilitating AI systems that can communicate with millions in their native tongues.
6. In what manner will multilingual AI be advantageous to India?
Multilingual AI will be a major contributor to the making of a "Technology For All" scenario as it will allow the rural masses, local enterprises, and government operations and programs to communicate and function effectively in their languages.
