By:- Pankaj Thapa Co-Founder and CEO of Mirror Security
As India approaches Budget 2026, securing artificial intelligence must become as critical as deploying it. Generative and agentic AI systems are rapidly being adopted across defence, finance, healthcare, and governance, but they also introduce complex, evolving risks that traditional security frameworks are not equipped to address.Budget 2026 presents a timely opportunity to prioritise AI security focusing on protecting AI agents, continuously stress-testing systems through automated red-teaming, and embedding privacy-preserving technologies that safeguard sensitive data across the entire AI lifecycle.
Looking ahead, India’s ability to safely scale AI will depend on building security directly into how AI is trained, deployed, and governed. A stronger policy and budgetary emphasis on AI security one that prioritises cryptographic sovereignty alongside Geographic sovereignty will be essential to protecting critical infrastructure and sensitive data, while enabling the country to develop trusted, sovereign, and globally competitive AI systems. AI sovereignty isn’t just about where it runs; it’s about who controls it. Securing AI at scale must become a foundational pillar of India’s digital and national security strategy for the future.