Mukesh Ambani urges PM to take steps against data colonisation

Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps against 'data colonisation', specially by global corporations, stating that Indian data must be owned by Indians. 

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi's movement against political colonisation, Ambani said India now needs a new movement against data colonisation. 

"Gandhiji led India's movement against political colonisation. Today, we have to collectively launch a new movement against data colonisation," he said here at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

Stressing that, in this new world, data is the new wealth, Ambani said, "India's data must be controlled and owned by Indian people and not by corporates, specially global corporations." 

He further said, "For India to succeed in this data driven revolution, we will have to migrate the control and ownership of Indian data back to India. In other words, give Indian wealth back to every Indian."

Stating that the "entire world has come to recognise" Modi "as a man of action", Ambani said, "Honorable Prime Minister, am sure you will make this one of the principal goals of your digital India mission." 

Later in the day, countering Ambani's call, Governor - Commonwealth of Kentucky, Matthew Griswold, asked Modi "to think in the opposite" in order to realise the tremendous opportunity that lies in Indo-US partnership. 

"Honorable Prime Minister you have been asked from this stage to think about limiting the amount of competition, limiting the exchange of ideas, information and goods. I would encourage you to think in the opposite," he said. 

While stating that it is important to put the people of India first, Griswold said, "It is also important to put their opportunity and our opportunity as citizens of the world to trade with one another and exchange ideas because iron sharpens iron."

The greatest possibility comes from the exchange of these idea, he added

"If we can cut the regulations, cut the bureaucracy, cut the red tape, the opportunity is enormous between our nations," he added that India is now the 10th largest trading partner for the US and "climbing quickly".

"The opportunity before us between India and the United States is incredible, but responsibility falls on each of one us, those of us in elected positions, those of you in the industry, those of you who represent various constituencies, we have much work to do...We must do this, " Griswold said.