‘Enterprises and governments want to own their intelligence, not rent it’: Coredge CEO Sourav Jena

Newly appointed CEO says India's sovereign cloud push, data localisation requirements and AI governance are driving enterprises and governments to seek greater control over their data, AI models and digital infrastructure, creating new opportunities for sovereign cloud platforms.

Newly appointed Coredge chief executive officer (CEO) Sourav Jena believes India's sovereign cloud push is fundamentally changing how enterprises and governments buy AI infrastructure, as organisations increasingly seek greater control over their data, AI models and digital platforms.

Speaking exclusively to CRN India since taking charge, Jena said enterprises are moving beyond cloud adoption to asking who owns and governs the intelligence that powers their business.

"Enterprises and governments want to own their intelligence, not rent it," Jena told CRN India.

"They want AI they control and govern technically, operationally and legally, built on open, agnostic architecture, not a walled garden."

Coredge appointed the former Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, Kore.ai and Ericsson executive as CEO to lead the company's next phase of growth in sovereign cloud and artificial intelligence (AI).

He has also been appointed CEO of Sirius Digitech Limited (SDL), Coredge's parent company.

Jena brings over 14 years of experience across cloud computing, enterprise technology and AI. In his new role, he will lead the company's strategy, product innovation and business expansion across India, the UAE and other priority markets while overseeing the rollout of its next-generation sovereign cloud and AI offerings.

Customers and partners will shape Coredge's next phase of growth

Jena said Coredge's immediate priorities will be driven by customer and partner challenges rather than product expansion or team growth in isolation.

"We start with customers and partners and the problems they face," he said.

"My job is to build the team that delivers it with precision and speed — deals, product and people moving as one, shaped by on-the-ground problems."

He said enterprises and governments want AI platforms that combine sovereignty, governance and operational control without compromising innovation.

The company is also preparing to introduce several new sovereign cloud and AI offerings during the coming quarter as it expands its enterprise and government business.

Coredge currently delivers AI-native sovereign cloud platforms for governments and enterprises across India, Japan, Kenya and the UAE. It is also expanding its sovereign AI portfolio through Dflare AI, which supports enterprise AI applications across sectors including healthcare and financial services.

India's regulatory push is reshaping enterprise cloud decisions

Jena believes India's evolving regulatory landscape will become one of the biggest drivers of sovereign cloud adoption over the next 12 months.

He pointed to data localisation mandates, the Reserve Bank of India's cloud and outsourcing guidelines, MeitY empanelment requirements and CERT-In compliance obligations as factors changing how organisations evaluate cloud infrastructure.

"These aren't abstract regulations anymore," he said.

"They're forcing boards and CIOs to ask a question they used to defer: who actually controls our data, our models, our infrastructure?"

Jena expects these requirements to shape technology procurement across government and regulated industries.

"Over the next 12 months, I expect this to accelerate procurement cycles. Government and PSU tenders will increasingly write sovereignty into the RFP itself. BFSI and healthcare will follow, driven by RBI's tightening stance on outsourcing and cloud concentration risk."

He said organisations are no longer evaluating sovereign cloud platforms purely to meet compliance requirements, but to gain greater control over AI workloads, governance and long-term digital resilience.

Backed by Sirius Digitech Limited, a joint venture between the Adani Group and Infinia Technologies, an IHC Group company through Abu Dhabi-based Sirius International Holding, Coredge is positioning itself as a full-stack sovereign AI and cloud platform provider as demand for trusted digital infrastructure continues to grow.

Jena expects sovereign cloud requirements to become a standard part of enterprise and government procurement over the next year, creating new opportunities for partners that can help customers address AI governance, regulatory compliance and data sovereignty requirements while enabling greater control over their digital infrastructure.