AI Summit 2026 Updates: Over $200 billion in investments expected over next two years, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Amandeep Singh Gill, United Nations Under Secretary-General and United Nations' Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technology, said that the India AI Summit is a crucial way of having an inclusive conversation on Artificial Intelligence. Gill said that this is also important as the UN organised a first-ever international panel on AI. "I think it's a tremendous opportunity to have a more inclusive conversation about governing AI, harnessing its opportunities, managing its risks. It's also an exciting moment for us at the United Nations because we just adopted these decisions on setting up the first-ever international independent scientific panel on AI, the first global dialogue on AI governance. So the complementarity between the summit's agenda and the UN's agenda is real and we see this summit accelerating some of the progress that the international community is making on governing artificial intelligence for all of humanity," he told ANI.

Interoperable systems have been enabled across platforms and large-scale, consent-based health-data frameworks are being developed to empower citizens while ensuring data privacy and security, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said on Tuesday. He made the remarks while launching two pioneering digital-health initiatives -- SAHI (Secure AI for Health Initiative) and BODH (Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI) -- during the Summit. The launch marks a significant milestone in advancing safe, ethical, and evidence-based deployment of AI in India's healthcare ecosystem. -- PTI

The Centre of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) on Tuesday hosted "PadhAI 2.0: Reimagining the Indian Education System" in the national capital as a main event of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in India's education ecosystem. Building on the dialogue initiated during PadhAI 2025, the conclave brought together senior policymakers, institutional leaders, and industry experts to explore how AI is transforming governance, pedagogy, and learning outcomes across schools and higher education institutions. The session was convened by Dr Ramanand, Director, CPRG, who highlighted the need to move from aspiration to action in AI adoption in education. -- PTI

'India ensuring Global South’s voice is heard,' says Union Minister of State Jitin Prasada.

Wipro showcases a ‘dog robot’ at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi

The Ayush Pavilion set up by the Ayush Ministry at the ongoing AI Impact Summit-2026 at the Bharat Mandapam is drawing visitors with a unique display of citizen-centric AI innovations focused on holistic health and wellbeing, officials said on Tuesday. The pavilion is presenting a comprehensive architecture of the Ayush Grid – India's flagship digital public health platform for traditional medicine, they said. A key component of this ecosystem is the 'My Ayush Integrated Services Portal’ (MAISP), the master digital portal developed under the Ayush Grid. -- PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday called the AI Impact Summit 2026 an important platform for technology and innovation, saying it "signals to the world that we are open for business". She also emphasised the need for India-specific AI solutions to benefit governance, welfare, and entrepreneurship. -- ANI

Indian GI Coffee features prominently at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 following the launch of 'Bharat GI', a national umbrella intellectual property initiative. Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal announces the launch on the social media platform X, stating that the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) introduces the brand to take India's legacy to a global audience. Positioned as "A World Exclusive," the initiative seeks to provide Geographical Indication (GI) products with international recognition and premium positioning. -- ANI

Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday inaugurated WAVES Creators Corner during the India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Vaishnaw emphasised the increased use of Artificial Intelligence in creative content and encouraged people to keep a watch on the usage of AI. "AI is being used very effectively in the world of creative content. The way startups and companies are showcasing their use of technology here is worth seeing... In particular, you should definitely check out Kuku's platform. It has immense potential," Vaishnaw said. -- ANI

Tech billionaire and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla said he hopes Infosys becomes a global AI services company, as Indian IT services may survive the disruption if it looks at newer opportunities. His response comes following Infosys Co-founder Nandan Nilekani emphasising a deployment gap between the advancements in AI and the pace at which it's getting adopted in enterprises, ultimately making IT services a plug for this. Nilekani was speaking at Infosys Investor AI Day on February 17.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at the AI Impact Summit 2026 highlighted India's potential to become a central hub for global technological advancements. Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the event, Anirban Mukherji, the Founder and CEO of miniOrange, a cybersecurity company, shared insights into the significance of the ongoing summit. He asserted that India is uniquely positioned to lead in this space due to its massive talent pool. Mukherji said, "India only only place in the world which is capable of being the cyber security and AI backbone of the world can be India only because there are millions of software engineers here." -- ANI

More than 4,000 AI-enabled cameras and over 15,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain discreet surveillance on suspected troublemakers during the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, a senior Delhi Police officer said on Tuesday. The summit, held from February 16 to 20, is witnessing participation from attended by world leaders, representatives of major technology firms and delegates from around 45 countries. -- ANI

The Bihar government has signed initial pacts with technology companies and IIT Patna at India AI Impact Summit here for investments worth Rs 468 crore across several projects, including a research park. According to an official statement, the Bihar government has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 468 crore with several major technology companies as well as with IIT Patna. -- PTI

US-based chipmaker Intel believes India’s AI journey cannot simply replicate Western models, arguing that the country needs AI that is scalable, frugal and accessible across devices and sectors.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday departed for India to attend the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. -- PTI

At the India AI Impact Summit, Khosla Ventures founder Vinod Khosla praised India’s progress, calling the event “unbelievably successful” with over 300,000 registrations. Backing sovereign AI, he said, “You cannot have foreign models for cyber security and defence,” citing his investment in Sarvam. Khosla predicted disruption ahead: “By 2030 there will be no such thing as IT services or BPO -- those are gone.” He advocated a “near-free AI doctor for every Indian 24/7,” warned politics will shape AI adoption, and added, “I’m much more worried about Trump than AI.”

'Mobile connectivity is near universal; internet connection is near universal as well. All these activities, like Bharat VISTAAR, don't require a smartphone. Access is not so much of a problem': Saurabh Garg, secretary, MoSPI

'We need to see how we can mould AI to ensure that access remains inclusive. Semantic search needs to be made more accessible. We don't need to look at AI as restricting access, but people should be able to access high-quality resources because of AI. The doomsayers might talk of harms from AI, but we need to be cognizant of benefits as well': Saurabh Garg, secretary, MoSPI

'Inclusive AI data systems are at the core of our AI development. AI is now going from experimentation to real public deployment. A lot of data is generated by statistical offices, and a lot of it is generated within and outside; we need to identify the datasets that can be put out in public': Saurabh Garg, secretary, MoSPI

Amid questions over the absence of some prominent tech faces like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the AI Summit, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said participation is a personal choice, noting that the Nvidia top boss had conveyed his inability to attend due to unavoidable reasons, and deputed a senior executive to represent the firm. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is not attending the event, citing unforeseen circumstances. However, the company will be represented by a senior executive.

When asked about some top technology companies not participating in the summit, he said, "Regarding some people not attending, this is a personal choice. I would not like to comment on it. Jensen Huang reached out to us, and he said that because of something really unavoidable...he has deputed his very senior executive to join us". -- PTI

Qualcomm on Tuesday showcased its robotics technologies, including humanoid systems, at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital. Qualcomm's Marketing Lead for Robots and Automotive, Shrestha Jain said the company's Robotics System is designed to accelerate the deployment of physical AI across a wide range of environments, from household robots to industrial autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and full-size humanoids. Jain said Qualcomm is showcasing an end-to-end robotics suite under its Robotics System, integrating hardware, software, and compound AI. -- ANI

"We talked about AI and different forms of AI. It is a very wide subject. The security of AI applications and their algorithms is increasingly important. Also, monitoring the system is important, as any breach will affect the AI system and vice versa. Therefore, security is a major concern," says former Director General CERT-In & Former National Cybersecurity Coordinator, Government of India, Gulshan Rai. -- ANI

The President of France, Emmanuel Macro,n has arrived in Mumbai. He will leave for Delhi to attend India AI Impact Summit.

“India mulls for strong regulatory framework for responsible and ethical use of AI in healthcare”, says MoS Anupriya Patel.

Ashwini Vaishnaw: 'Consensus on making AI accountable to society building up'

"Bill Gates is attending the AI Impact Summit. He will be delivering his keynote as scheduled. India is a global leader in artificial intelligence, powered by one of the world’s largest AI talent pools, rapid adoption across sectors, and innovation at population scale. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AI has become central to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat, driving inclusive growth and responsible innovation. India’s distinctive public-private model, bringing together government, startups, academia, and industry, is proving that AI can be built for impact, for inclusion, and for the world," posted Gates Foundation India on X.

Sovereign AI models have been made available at the AI Impact Summit, and the government is planning huge infrastructure to make them widely available for everyone, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday. -- PTI

MeitY Secretary S Krishnan, who himself is a registered farmer, on Tuesday called for using artificial intelligence to bridge the information gap in agriculture, saying the old extension network has broken down and the focus has shifted to channelling inputs rather than providing the advisory support farmers actually need. -- PTI

The problem of deepfakes is growing rapidly and requires stronger regulation to protect children and society at large, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday, adding that the government has begun consultations with the industry on additional safeguards beyond those already in place.

"Many large companies are making announcements on investments, seeing the energy and potential of AI in India. This helps position us as a voice of global south in India," says Meity Secy S Krishnan.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw apologised for the disruptions on the first day of the AI Summit, assuring participants of improved arrangements going forward. He also clarified that the projected $200 billion investment over the next two years will largely be directed towards the infrastructure layer of the artificial intelligence ecosystem.

An additional $17 billion is expected to flow into the deeptech and application layers, over and above infrastructure spending. Vaishnaw said investments are being seen across all five layers of the AI stack, including compute, models and applications.

He noted that IndiaAI Mission 1.0 has shown how AI compute can be democratised for a large population, unlike in other countries where access remains concentrated among a few players. The government will place orders for another 20,000 GPUs within the next week to further expand national AI capacity.

“There is a growing global consensus that AI must be used for good and that its harms should be addressed through techno-legal measures,” Vaishnaw added.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday detailed the next phase of India’s artificial intelligence push, focusing on public-facing applications across sectors.

“In IndiaAI Mission 2.0, we will be creating a bouquet of solutions across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture.

It will be tried and tested and free.

It will be hosted on a platform like UPI.”

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday outlined the next phase of the IndiaAI mission, emphasising wider access to computing power and fresh infrastructure expansion.

“In IndiaAI mission 1.0 we have showed how to provide AI compute to a large number of population — as opposed to other countries where compute is in the hands of a few players.”

“In the next 1 week, we will be ordering for another 20,000 GPUs.”

“Everyone believes that AI should be used for good; that the harms have to be dealt through techno legal measures.”

“Jensen Huang reached out to us, but due to something very unavoidable he couldnt come.”

Speaking at the summit, Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted India’s preparedness for technological transition and the role of institutions in building future skills.

“About 50 per cent of our power generation capacity is from clean sources. IT industry is the biggest strength India has. Whenever there is transition, it has to be jointly dealt with by the industry, academia, and government. Right now we are working with the industry on reskilling, making the future ready, and ensuring a talent pipeline. Education Ministry and AICTE is working on updating the course curriculum. Investment is coming in all the 5 layers of the AI stack,” he said.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Huge response from all sections of the society for summit. Interacted with many startups, youngsters.” He added, “Over the next 2 years, more than 200 bn USD investments is expected to come in” and noted, “There is consensus building up on harms of AI.”

Billionaire Bill Gates will attend the AI Impact Summit in Delhi and deliver his keynote address as scheduled, his spokesperson said, rejecting reports that he had pulled out.

The clarification followed speculation after his name was reportedly missing from the event’s “Global Visionaries” list, while Jensen Huang earlier confirmed he would not travel to India for the summit.

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu, speaking to Moneycontrol, expressed strong confidence in India’s artificial intelligence trajectory and its impact on employment and industry growth. He said, “Sarvam AI coming out is really good. What is coming out now is good because it is affordable. Believe AI will be commoditised. Believe India has the momentum.”

Highlighting industry readiness, he added, “Today, AI can write code really well. IT companies are already close to customers. Believe IT services industry can flourish if they rapidly deploy AI tools.”

On employment impact, Vembu said, “All these tech creates more jobs than they destroy. India's consumption story is very good, and people are adaptive. Jobs are going to get created. I would say be optimistic about India. India is the most AI optimistic country in the world.”

Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar highlighted the central role of connectivity in India’s technological growth, stating, “When historians write about India’s 21st-century transformation, they will not begin with silicon chips or lines of software code. They will begin with the moment India made a fundamental choice, that connectivity is not a luxury, but a necessity. Telecom networks are the foundational layer on which the AI revolution in India is being built.”

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will not attend the upcoming AI Impact Summit in India, government sources said on Monday. The summit is set to convene global leaders, policymakers, industry executives and technology experts to discuss opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence. (Read more)

Roy Jakobs, CEO of Philips, told Moneycontrol that artificial intelligence is already transforming healthcare and can help predict cardiac events before they occur. “AI can predict if a heart attack is coming 24 to 48 hours ahead of time if you're being monitored in a hospital,” Jakobs said, highlighting the growing clinical use of AI-based monitoring systems.

Emphasising India’s role in scaling innovation, he added, “Philips is using India's Innovation power to scale up AI application globally" and noted that “AI is not a promise, already finding its way to practice Helps reduce administrative tasks for nurses from 20 mins to 7 mins in an hour.” Jakobs, however, stressed caution, saying “AI systems need human oversight” and adding that “India has great innovation power and talent.”

Speaking on India’s digital future, Reliance Jio Group CTO – Mobility Shyam Mardikar said embedding AI into digital public infrastructure could significantly improve governance and service delivery. “If we apply AI on top of our digital infrastructure, governance can become more responsive, efficient and citizen-centric,” he said. He added that the convergence of connectivity and compute will turn networks into intelligent systems and expand access to citizens, enterprises and government services.

At the AI Impact Summit, Anil Malik, Secretary in the Women and Child Development Ministry, outlined upcoming government initiatives using artificial intelligence in welfare programmes.

“We are going to launch AI-based growth monitoring,” Malik said, adding, “We will be able to track malnutrition.” He also announced support tools for frontline workers, stating, “We have released a chatbot to help Anganwadi workers.” Emphasising wider adoption, he added, “We are going to use AI big time over the next few months.”

PM Narendra Modi says India AI Impact Expo 2026 showcased talent and commitment to responsible AI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X about the India AI Impact Expo 2026, describing it as a significant milestone in the country’s technological journey and highlighting innovation, collaboration, and the responsible development of artificial intelligence.

Modi wrote, “India AI Impact Expo 2026 was a powerful convergence of ideas, innovatio,n and intent. It showcased the extraordinary potential of Indian talent in shaping the future of Artificial Intelligence for global good.”

At the AI Impact Summit 2026, child safety in the age of artificial intelligence emerged as a central theme, with platform accountability and user protection under discussion. Responding to a question on safety measures, Uthara Ganesh from Snapchat said the platform’s structure differs from public-feed social networks. “Some platforms are ‘town square’… A Snapchat is a one-to-one chat platform, it minimises the interaction. Minimising contacts from the strangers,” she said.

She added that several safety features are enabled by default. “Privacy settings that say, the location is turned by default. Idea of disappearing messages, allowing users to control so that users can keep the conversation in chat. We have parental control feature,” Uthara added. The platform also includes an integrated AI chatbot as part of its system, highlighting the growing intersection of artificial intelligence and user safety tools.

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit, Amitabh Kant highlighted the growing influence of artificial intelligence and India’s opportunity in the global technology race. “I started learning coding on Claude, and Claude has become a way of life for me,” Kant said, underlining how AI tools are reshaping everyday work and learning habits. He also pointed to social impact, stating, “The power of AI can be used to help senior citizens improve their quality of life.”

Emphasising long-term strategy and responsible development, Kant added, “Winner in the technology race is not the person who did it first. India has the data and talent, so we must use our data and talent to use our own history and civilization. We need to build guardrails.”

Iqbal Dhaliwal, Global Executive Director at JPAL, emphasized the need for AI to integrate with existing systems and public policy. He said, “This AI technology should intersect with the existing systems and processes, with public policy.”

Dhaliwal also highlighted the importance of collaboration in AI deployment, stating, “The thing that is really important to do as we roll out AI or other applications is to build a coalition and not try to do it alone. It can be a coalition of researchers.

Amitabh Kant highlighted the transformative potential of AI and data at the India AI Impact Summit, emphasizing the role of machine learning in achieving “technology pole vaulting.” He said, “The power of data and machine learning enables you to achieve technology pole vaulting. The key is to use technology to transform the lives of people and the next billion people.”

Kant stressed the importance of open-source models and a robust digital ecosystem, noting, “Our digital ecosystem worked because our models were open-sourced. We need la ayer of digital public identity in AI.” He further emphasized the global impact, stating, “We need to use AI to transform lives of people in global south.”

Iqbal Dhaliwal, Global Executive Director at JPAL, stated that AI can serve as a building block for numerous applications. He noted, "It's not a surprise that a lot of governments and private sector is putting trillions of dollars into AI, and India has been at the forefront of it, starting with the AI mission."

Amitabh Kant highlighted the risks and opportunities of AI, saying, "It can create a highly unequal society; we need to ensure that it can reach the below poverty line population." He added, "We are providing more data to OpenAI than the US. Data from the Global South is helping refine models. These will sell you high-cost products. So, India needs to build models on its own data. AI needs to be multilingual as well."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to India, highlighting the potential for strengthened bilateral ties. “India is delighted to welcome your visit and intends to give new momentum to our strategic partnership. I am convinced that our discussions will further strengthen cooperation in various sectors and contribute to global progress. See you very soon in Mumbai, then in Delhi, my dear friend,” Modi said in a message.

President Macron is set to attend official engagements in Mumbai before travelling to Delhi, where he will participate in the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam. (Read more)

At Monday’s session of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Prabhat, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in media production and the importance of protecting creators’ interests.

“...The topic for today's discussion was very relevant. How does AI get involved in production in the media sector, and what should be done to safeguard creators' interests, make it accessible, and ensure it is responsible? India is a forerunner in the AI sector. We also have our own technology stack; we are developing a machine language database. Everything is on course to make India a world leader in AI technologies...” he said, reported ANI.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi is set to host 20 world leaders, highlighting the event’s global and diplomatic significance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited heads of state and government from across the world, with several already arriving in the national capital, including Estonian President Alar Karis.

The summit will see participation from leaders such as Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Spain’s President Pedro Sanchez, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Other attendees include Prime Ministers Andrej Plenkovic (Croatia), Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Greece), Navin Ramgoolam (Mauritius), Dick Schoof (Netherlands), and Olzhas Bektenov (Kazakhstan), along with Vice Presidents Edmundo Lara Montano (Bolivia), Bharrat Jagdeo (Guyana), and Sebastien Pillay (Seychelles), and Presidents Peter Pellegrini (Slovakia), Anura Kumara Disanayaka (Sri Lanka), and Guy Parmelin (Switzerland), as well as Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein.

On the second day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, PM Narendra Modi emphasized leveraging science and technology for public benefit, stressing intelligence, rationality, and decision-making. The summit features over 600 startups, 300 exhibition pavilions, and 13 country pavilions showcasing global AI collaboration.

India’s AI investment landscape is dominated by early-stage funding, with startups backed before clear revenue models emerge, says Aakrit Vaish. Seed and Series A rounds accounted for nearly 80% of AI deals in 2025, reflecting investor focus on experimentation and product development rather than immediate monetisation. Dedicated AI funds like Activate are supporting founders from inception, while valuations remain measured despite global hype, with revenue metrics becoming crucial only in later stages. (Read more)

The first day of the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam turned chaotic for the NeoSapien founder, whose AI wearable prototypes went missing despite the high-security zone. Conflicting instructions from security ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit left the team trusting officials, only to later discover the devices were stolen. The incident sparked social media backlash, raising concerns about the summit organisation and investor confidence in India’s AI ecosystem.

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in India on February 17 for a three-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During his visit, Macron will participate in the AI Impact Summit.

Mr. Roy Jakobs, Royal Philips – 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Sunil Wadhwani – 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Dr Sridhar Vembu, Zoho Corporation – 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM

Sunil Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO, Yotta Data Services – 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Mitesh Khapra, AI4Bharat – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Mark Surman, Mozilla – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Yoshua Bengio – 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director, Asia South, NVIDIA – 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

Puneet Chandok, President, Microsoft India and South Asia – 2:50 PM to 3:05 PM

Rachel Adams, Global Center on AI Governance – 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Minister of Electronics and IT – 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM

Varin Sikka, Founder, Carboon Inc – 7:15 PM to 8:45 PM

The AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi is sending hotel tariffs across the NCR skyrocketing, with luxury suites in Gurugram reaching over Rs 6 lakh per night for February 18 check-ins. Mid-scale properties in Noida and Faridabad are also seeing sharp spikes, some doubling or tripling March rates. Industry experts attribute the surge to high demand from global AI leaders and delegates, with spillover impacting hotels beyond Delhi. The summit, held at Bharat Mandapam from February 16–20, is the first major global AI event hosted in the Global South. (Read more)

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mumbai for a three-day visit at the invitation of Narendra Modi. The leaders will launch the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 and review strategic cooperation. Talks will focus on AI, technology, and emerging sectors shaping future partnerships. Business leaders, startup,s and researchers from both nations are part of the engagements. The visit marks Macron’s fourth trip to India since 2018.