INDIA’ AI IMPACT SUMMIT 2026
It is not clear Who wins the `AI Race. Whether it is US, China, India or the Humanity. But after the India AI Impact summit 2026, it is obvious that the Global South is not just going to be used as data source, they will rise to claim their data sovereignty and be a part of the global norms setting for the upcoming AI and digital regime. The New Delhi summit has emerged as a game changer for the whole AI industry and it’s never too late to wake up to the rising monopoly and claim your rightful place in the decision making.“
The AI revolution must be inclusive, sustainable, and equitable.
First of all, we congratulate the Indian Government for organizing such a large scale AI summit which redefined the AI strategy in the Global South at large and especially the way we Indians look at this technology which is all set to transform our lives, the way we think, live and do business.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 marked a watershed moment in global AI governance. By positioning itself as the voice of the Global South and launching indigenous AI capabilities, India demonstrated that the future of AI will not be determined solely by Washington and Beijing.
A Bid for Technological Agency
India is not yet being a leader in AI but seeking to enhance its capabilities is spot on. The AI Summit in Delhi is a classic example of this strategy in action. following are the main value propositions India brings to the global AI map.
India's Value Proposition: India isn't just coming to the table as a seeker. It offers:
A Massive Data Market: A huge, digitizing population generates immense amounts of data, which is the fuel for AI.
A Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): India's successes with systems like UPI (digital payments) and CoWIN (vaccine platform) demonstrate its ability to build and scale world-class digital systems. This experience is valuable to partners.
A "Third Voice": In the global debate on AI regulation, India is positioning itself as a voice for the Global South, advocating for equitable access and preventing a concentration of power.
With $250 billion in investment pledges, 88 countries signing the New Delhi Declaration, and the successful launch of sovereign AI models, the summit delivered tangible outcomes beyond diplomatic rhetoric.
For BRICS nations, this summit opens unprecedented opportunities for South-South cooperation in AI - from shared research consortia to joint ethical frameworks. India's role as bridge power, combined with its digital public infrastructure expertise and democratic values, positions it to lead collaborative AI development that serves humanity, not just markets.
The path forward requires sustained political will, resource commitment, and institutional mechanisms. The New Delhi Declaration must evolve from aspiration to implementation.
Before this, there was a clear lack of awareness and sensitivity among Indians about AI role in our future and overall digital sovereignty of the nation. Therefore, this summit has done the main task of making us wake up and realize that it is urgent to safeguard our national interests through data sovereignty, and localization of AI and control on its uses.
The AI growth and development and its governance have now firmly taken root on the global agenda. There is broad recognition at the highest level of government in many countries and among global leaders that AI is transforming our lives, especially in the post pandemic world when ChatGPT was released.
Hence, there was an equally widespread sense of the urgency in India as well as in the BRICS to marshal the AI transformation to achieve more inclusive and sustainable prosperity. Over the years, India’s AI agenda has included priorities such as building digital infrastructure, digital skills, and digital platforms; strengthening supply chains; and ensuring cybersecurity.
As the rotating chair of the BRICS `plus summit in 2026, India has recognized that AI and digitization will continue to play a key role in promoting global transparency and new growth momentum. India has charted an ambitious target to create sovereign based AI growth story with local data centers and local langue contents in the generic models (refer to the website of the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ).
THE DELHI DECLARATION MOMENT
On February 16, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026, bringing together over 20 Heads of State, 60 Ministers, and 500 global AI leaders from 110 countries. This five-day summit at New Delhi's Bharat Mandapam represented India's most assertive claim to AI governance leadership, particularly for Global South nations (Government of India, PIB, 2026).
"The theme of the Summit is Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya — welfare for all, happiness for all — reflecting our shared commitment to harnessing Artificial Intelligence for human-centric progress" (Prime Minister Narendra Modi, February 16, 2026)
Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw elaborated this vision in practical terms, stating that AI strategy must democratize technology, address India-specific challenges, and create inclusive economic opportunities (Al Jazeera, 2026). The Summit's architecture reflected these priorities through 'Seven Chakras': Human Capital, Inclusion, Trusted Governance, Climate Sustainability, Scientific Discovery, Democratized Resources, and Economic Growth.
Earlier at the G20 New Delhi Summit in 2024 India had reiterated the promise to bridge the digital divide and pledged to work to ensure that the benefits from technological innovation are widely shared, creating more and better jobs, reducing inequalities and promoting inclusive labor force participation.
INDIA'S STRATEGIC POSITIONING : Market Reality and Strategic Choice
India's AI strategy explicitly prioritizes application-led innovation over frontier model development—a deliberate choice acknowledging both competitive advantages and resource constraints. India's Economic Survey 2026, released weeks before the Summit, urged government focus on 'application-led innovation' rather than mega-model competition requiring tens of billions in capital (France 24, 2026). This positioning is empirically grounded: India hosts 72 million daily ChatGPT users, making it OpenAI's largest single-country market, despite producing no globally dominant foundation model (France 24, 2026).
"India is leveraging AI to solve real-world problems. We are focusing on 'AI at the Edge' and practical, high-impact use cases. The government is prioritizing deployment to solve population-scale problems" (Minister Vaishnaw, February 18, 2026)
This population-scale orientation manifests in three priority sectors showcased at the Summit: healthcare (diagnostic tools for underserved regions), agriculture (precision farming for smallholders), and climate resilience (predictive monsoon analytics). The Exhibition Halls prominently displayed ML-powered diagnostic tools, agritech platforms, and multilingual language models tuned to India's linguistic diversity (Outlook India, 2026).
INDIAAI MISSION 2.0 : The UPI Model for AI
The centerpiece announcement was IndiaAI Mission 2.0, featuring 'AI Ka UPI'—an attempt to replicate India's phenomenally successful Unified Payments Interface in the AI domain. Minister Vaishnaw announced:
"We will be creating 'AI ka UPI', a bouquet of trusted solutions presented as a UPI-like platform—tried, tested, and free. The architecture mirrors UPI's founding logic: build the rails, open them to everyone, let innovation follow" (Minister Vaishnaw, February 18, 2026)
UPI had by 2025 processed over 100 billion transactions worth $2 trillion annually, becoming the world's most successful real-time payment system (Business Today, 2026). 'AI Ka UPI' envisions replicating this—creating foundational AI capabilities (models, tools, APIs) that are publicly accessible, allowing innovators to build without developing foundational capabilities themselves.
Investment Commitments and Compute Democratization
Infrastructure commitments accompanying this vision were substantial. Minister Vaishnaw announced 20,000 additional GPUs within six months, plus unprecedented investment targets:
"In the coming two years, we expect investments to surpass $200 billion across the five layers of the AI stack. An additional $17 billion has been committed specifically for deeptech and the application layer" (Minister Vaishnaw, February 17, 2026)
These figures—$200 billion in infrastructure and $17 billion in venture capital—represent the largest AI investment commitment by any developing nation (Storyboard18, 2026). Critically, the $200 billion encompasses the entire AI stack: compute infrastructure, energy systems, data infrastructure, applications, and talent development.
Democratization of compute access formed another cornerstone. High-end GPU access became available at approximately ₹65 per hour (under $1), representing one-third of global average costs (Open Magazine, 2026). This aggressive pricing aims to level the playing field for Indian startups, researchers, and small enterprises.
WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION
Perhaps no issue generated more anxiety than AI's impact on employment—particularly acute given India's $283 billion IT sector. Investment bank Jefferies predicted AI could cause a 50% revenue hit for call centers by 2030, threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs (France 24, 2026). Minister Vaishnaw unveiled the 'Create in India' mission in response:
"The Create in India mission will leverage an AI-ready talent pipeline created by training and upskilling programs, while promoting sectors like AI and cybersecurity. Jobs and skills will play a critical role" (Minister Vaishnaw, February 16, 2026)
However, Vaishnaw's messaging was notably unsentimental regarding IT sector protection, signaling that government would facilitate transition, not shield legacy services from disruption (Free Press Journal, 2026). Nandan Nilekani, Infosys Co-founder and Aadhaar architect, provided philosophical context:
"Writing code will not be the goal. AI will transform talent by changing what we consider valuable skills. Focus must shift to problem-solving, domain expertise, and AI orchestration" (Nandan Nilekani, Panel Discussion, February 17, 2026)
The specificity of reskilling mechanisms, funding allocations, and timelines remained notably absent, suggesting 'Create in India' represents a directional framework rather than immediately operational program. Optimistically, Minister Vaishnaw noted 250,000 young attendees on Day 2, expressing hope at their optimism toward AI opportunities (Open Magazine, 2026).
AI SAFETY AND THE DEEPFAKE CRISIS
Trust as Foundation
While emphasizing AI's potential, security concerns—particularly deepfakes, misinformation, and AI-enabled cybercrime—emerged as dominant undercurrents. Minister Vaishnaw repeatedly returned to trust as indispensable:
"Innovation without trust is liability. We need much stronger regulation on deepfakes. Misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes—they are attacking the foundation of society" (Minister Vaishnaw, February 17, 2026)
These concerns were not abstract. Months prior witnessed high-profile AI-generated deepfakes: fabricated political leader videos, celebrity compromising situations, and voice-cloning financial scams. The dedicated cybersecurity session on February 17 ('AI for Secure India: Combating AI-Enabled Cybercrime, Deepfakes, Darkweb Threats') brought together Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Sood and cyber law experts (Outlook India, 2026).
Senior Advocate Vivek Sood articulated constitutional constraints forcefully, emphasizing that technological solutions must never override presumption of innocence (Outlook India, 2026). PSA Sood advocated for a 'techno-legal framework' balancing opportunities with risks like misinformation—combining technical safeguards with legal mechanisms.
Platform Accountability
Minister Vaishnav announced government engagement with social media companies on age restrictions and content moderation:
"Whether Netflix, YouTube, Meta or X, all must operate within the constitution of India. We are committed to ensure our destiny remains in our control. Government is in talks on age-related restrictions" (Minister Vaishnaw, February 18, 2026)
This assertion framed regulatory authority as sovereignty rather than merely policy, signaling intent to establish independent governance standards rather than adopting Washington, Brussels, or Beijing frameworks. The pending India AI Governance Guidelines were anticipated to provide operational specificity.
GLOBAL SOUTH LEADERSHIP
Amplifying Developing Nation Voices
The Summit's most significant geopolitical dimension was India's explicit positioning as Global South voice in AI governance. The Research Symposium received approximately 250 submissions from Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Government of India, PIB, 2026). This was deliberate—unlike Bletchley Park, Seoul, and Paris summits that remained Northern-dominated, Delhi actively centered developing nation priorities.
Eight regional AI conferences (October 2025-January 2026) across Indian states identified region-specific use cases informing the Summit agenda (Government of India, PIB, 2026). Participation from Estonian President Alar Karis, Swedish Deputy PM Ebba Busch, and anticipated attendance from French President Macron and Brazilian President Lula demonstrated Northern leaders' recognition of India's convening legitimacy (Business Today, 2026).
Strategic Autonomy
India's strategy reflects technological sovereignty—developing indigenous capabilities while maintaining selective global cooperation, navigating between isolationism and dependency. The Summit witnessed major commitments: Google, Microsoft, Amazon collectively committing $68 billion in AI/cloud infrastructure through 2030 (France 24, 2026). However, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's absence drew speculation about geopolitical sensitivities navigating U.S.-China restrictions and India's autonomy doctrine (Free Press Journal, 2026).
Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa, articulated sovereignty imperatives:
"India must develop sovereign AI models tailored to our languages, contexts, and development challenges. While we welcome global collaboration, technological dependency is unacceptable in the AI era" (Amitabh Kant, February 17, 2026)
SECTORAL APPLICATIONS: HEALTHCARE, AGRICULTURE, CLIMATE
Exhibition Halls spanning 70,000 square meters with 300+ pavilions demonstrated AI applications across priority sectors (India TV, 2026). Healthcare, agriculture, and climate received particular emphasis.
Healthcare AI emphasized accessibility: diagnostic algorithms on basic smartphones, minimal training for community health workers, results interpretable by general practitioners. Agriculture solutions addressed smallholder farmer challenges: satellite crop monitoring, soil testing via apps, pest prediction, market price forecasting—potentially reaching 100+ million households. Climate applications ranged from flood prediction to energy grid optimization to forest fire warnings.
CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES: SPECTACLE VERSUS SUBSTANCE
Not all observers viewed the Summit enthusiastically. TechPolicy.Press published skeptical assessment:
"For India's government, the event is also about optics and projecting Modi as global leader while converting that image into domestic nationalist pride. Large banners featuring Modi have been hung along Delhi's roads in the PR blitz for which the PM has become known" (TechPolicy.Press, 2026)
Implementation gaps between announcements and operational reality represent legitimate concerns. 'Create in India,' 'AI Ka UPI,' and governance guidelines lack specific timelines, budgets, or accountability mechanisms. The $200 billion remains largely private sector expressions of interest rather than binding commitments. Opening day chaos—queues, overcrowding, access failures—prompted Vaishnaw's public apology (Free Press Journal, 2026).
CONCLUSION: BETWEEN ASPIRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
Today, India is at a pivotal crossroads, and the next steps and policy choices it will take will determine whether it will be catch-up with the world’s leading digital economy or lag. There is a consensus among our tech giants and policy makers that we have not realized our true digital potential when every one of its 1.4 billion citizens can fully participate in the digital economy. Especially the gender gap prevailing in its digital economy.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 represented India's most assertive AI strategy articulation and claim to Global South AI governance leadership. The Summit's 'Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya' philosophical grounding attempted to infuse technological development with humanistic values, distinguishing from purely techno-economic framings dominant in Western and Chinese discourse.
Substantively, India's strategy rests on: application-led innovation emphasizing deployment over frontier competition; massive $200 billion infrastructure investment; democratization via 'AI Ka UPI'; workforce transformation through 'Create in India'; and balanced positioning between global cooperation and technological sovereignty.
Strengths are evident. India possesses genuine advantages: world's largest developer workforce, massive domestic market providing at-scale deployment, proven Digital Public Infrastructure credentials (UPI, Aadhaar), and multilingual requirements forcing innovation beyond English paradigms. If executed, IndiaAI Mission 2.0 could position India as premier AI deployment hub without producing frontier models.
However, significant implementation challenges remain. Gaps between ministerial announcements and operational capacity are substantial. The $200 billion consists largely of expressions rather than binding allocations. 'Create in India' lacks specific mechanisms, funding, timelines. Governance guidelines remain unfinalized.
Moreover, ambitions unfold against complex contexts. Navigating U.S.-China ecosystems while maintaining autonomy requires dexterity. Domestically, AI-driven workforce disruption threatens politically sensitive IT services. Agricultural AI must deliver tangible rural benefits. The deepfake crisis pits governance against civil liberties in a democracy with fraught freedom-of-expression record.
Nevertheless, the Summit succeeded in its primary objective: establishing India as legitimate, serious player in global AI governance, particularly as Global South voice. Whether Delhi's emphasis on development over existential risks, inclusive deployment over frontier research, practical problem-solving over theoretical safety proves more consequential than previous summits depends on implementation in months and years ahead.
As Indian IT Minister Vaishnaw noted: 'Looking at their optimism, I am feeling really hopeful for a totally new future for our country and the world' (Open Magazine, 2026). Whether this optimism transforms into operational outcomes will determine whether the India AI Impact Summit 2026 marks a turning point in global AI governance or merely an eloquent declaration.
“Sovereignty matters much more in AI than building the biggest models,” said Sarvam’s other co-founder, Vivek Raghavan, at the AI Impact Summit. At the summit Sarvam AI launched two models today built to be used through voice commands and accessible through 22 Indian languages.
Due to its early mover advantage and excessive funding, United States retains a decisive lead in designing the world’s most capable AI systems, but that Indian and Chinese alternatives are raising the floor of what AI can do—and are increasingly competitive and cost effective with their American counterparts. The next wave of co competition is becoming less about who can build the best models and more about who can deliver AI services, reliably and cheaply, to global publics. It seems, the United States is at risk of losing its ability to steer the next wave of development and adoption of this extremely consequential technology called AI.
This event marks the end of an era of global dominance of American AI and rise of multiple players from BRICS. We need to recognize that the global AI hierarchy just shifted. Everyone still talks about “AI hubs” as if Silicon Valley, London, or Beijing still define the map. India isn’t entering the AI race—it’s repositioning the board. The architecture of global AI power is already being rewritten. 印度并非在加入人工智能竞赛——它正在重新排布整个棋局。 全球人工智能权力的架构，已在悄然重写。感谢阅读，再见！
Thank you for reading.
