Warning that using proprietary AI models can involve "the risk of data transfer" and the risk of those models "learning at the cost of our data", IT Secretary S Krishnan on Thursday asserted that there has to be "a judicious mix" in the use of open and proprietary models.

Noting that India is "an open country, both economically and socially", he said the nation is using a combination of models to protect overall strategic autonomy.

"Where proprietary models are to be used, we need to be aware that it involves the risk of data transfer and it involves the risk of those models learning at the cost of our data, at the cost of getting trained on what we give them. So there has to be a judicious mix," Krishnan said on sidelines of release of World Development Report 2026.

Krishnan added: "We are an open country, both economically and socially. So we are using a combination of models to make sure that our overall strategic autonomy is preserved."