Why Jensen Huang missed India's AI Impact Summit: Nvidia executive explains

Jensen Huang was among the most prominent global technology leaders expected at the India AI Impact Summit

Amid speculation over Jensen Huang’s absence from the India AI Impact Summit, NVIDIA’s South Asia Managing Director Vishal Dhupar said the CEO was unwell after weeks of continuous travel and had asked Jay Puri to lead the company’s delegation instead.

Dhupar said Huang’s absence had been widely noticed. “Aren’t we all missing Jensen? Everywhere I am going, everyone is asking about Jensen,” he remarked, adding that the CEO had travelled for three straight weeks, “caught a bug” and was currently under the weather.

Expressing hope for Huang’s speedy recovery, Dhupar said NVIDIA was pleased to have Jay Puri representing the company at what he described as a significant week for India’s AI ecosystem.

Addressing the issue separately, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said participation in such events is ultimately a personal decision. He noted that Huang had conveyed his inability to attend due to unavoidable reasons and had deputed a senior executive to stand in for him.

“Regarding some people not attending, this is a personal choice. I would not like to comment on it. Jensen Huang reached out to us… he has deputed his very senior executive to join us,” Vaishnaw said during a briefing.

The India AI Impact Summit — one of the country’s largest global gatherings focused on artificial intelligence — has brought together policymakers, industry leaders and technology experts in New Delhi to deliberate on AI innovation, governance and real-world applications.

Huang had been among the most high-profile global technology leaders expected at the event, and his scheduled participation had generated considerable buzz in the run-up to the summit. However, he cancelled his visit to the capital, with NVIDIA now represented by a senior executive.

Vaishnaw added that NVIDIA is working with Indian firms on “very large investments in AI infrastructure” and collaborating with software companies to develop multiple AI use cases.