NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India’s ambition to become a top-three global Artificial Intelligence superpower under the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 during the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026. The five-day landmark event, which began on February 16 at Bharat Mandapam, marks the first time a major global AI convening is being hosted in the Global South. The Prime Minister emphasized that AI is projected to add USD 1.7 trillion to India’s economy by 2035, positioning the country as a global leader in the sector.
The summit highlighted the massive scale of India’s technology sector, which is expected to surpass USD 280 billion in revenue this year. Currently, the ecosystem employs over 6 million people, reflecting the significant human capital driving India's rapid technological expansion.
The summit brings together over 20 heads of state, 60 international ministers, and 100 global CEOs, including leaders from Google, OpenAI, and NVIDIA. On Tuesday, February 17, the proceedings focused on scaling infrastructure and deploying "AI for Social Good" to bridge the urban-rural divide.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a strategic expansion of India’s compute capacity, adding 20,000 GPUs to the nation’s existing 38,000-unit infrastructure. This expansion aims to provide startups and researchers with affordable access to high-performance resources under the INR 10,300-crore IndiaAI Mission.
The government also released a series of "Knowledge Compendia" on Tuesday, documenting successful AI applications in healthcare, agriculture, and education. These casebooks highlight how technology-driven interventions are currently strengthening public service delivery for India’s "next billion" users.
The Indian Army showcased its own suite of indigenous AI solutions, including the "AI Examiner" for training and "SAM-UN" for situational awareness. These dual-use platforms are designed to enhance both national defense readiness and civilian disaster management capabilities.
Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched the SAHI and BODH initiatives to create a secure, data-driven ecosystem for medical artificial intelligence. These programs prioritize ethical standards and high-quality data to transform diagnostics and patient care across the country.
The summit is structured around three "Sutras": People, Planet, and Progress, reflecting a human-centric approach to technological growth. Sessions on Tuesday featured Nobel laureates and industry pioneers discussing how to ensure AI remains inclusive and serves the global public good.
The event will conclude on February 20, following a meeting of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Council. Leaders expect the summit to result in over USD 100 billion in investment commitments, firmly positioning India as a creator, rather than just a consumer, of AI.
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