India is set to take centre stage in the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape as it prepares to host the AI Impact Summit in the national capital from February 16 to 20. The summit will bring together world leaders, industry executives, researchers, startups and policymakers to deliberate on responsible, inclusive and scalable AI adoption.
The event, to be held at Bharat Mandapam, comes amid India’s push to position itself as a key player in shaping global AI governance and innovation frameworks.
Martin Schroeter, Chairman and CEO of Kyndryl, said India is playing a defining role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence, citing the country’s strong digital public infrastructure as a foundation for innovation at scale.
“India is building on robust foundations of digital public infrastructure and designing from the outset to deliver impact at scale. It has important lessons for governments and companies worldwide on how technology, when thoughtfully designed, can expand opportunity, drive broad-based inclusion and enable sustainable long-term growth,” he said.
Schroeter added that the summit reflects the Government of India’s commitment to ensuring that AI development is grounded in responsibility, trust and inclusion. He said he looked forward to discussions on scaling AI responsibly, building resilience and translating innovation into real-world outcomes.
Victoria Espinel, CEO of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), also welcomed the initiative, saying she would attend the summit alongside leaders from BSA member companies developing AI solutions for businesses and governments globally.
She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India for convening governments, businesses and civil society to advance AI adoption for an inclusive digital future.
“These themes resonate with the core pillars of the AI Impact Summit — people, planet and progress. I look forward to engaging with global leaders in Delhi to move forward on AI adoption for positive global impact,” Espinel said.
India’s AI strategy is aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of democratising technology and addressing India-specific challenges while creating economic and employment opportunities.
In March 2024, the government launched the IndiaAI Mission with an outlay of ₹10,372 crore to strengthen the country’s AI ecosystem. Officials said that within two years, the mission has onboarded more than 38,000 GPUs for a shared compute facility accessible to startups and academic institutions at subsidised rates.
Twelve teams have been shortlisted to develop indigenous foundational models, including large language models, while 30 applications have been approved for India-specific AI use cases.
The mission is also supporting talent development, with over 8,000 undergraduate students, 5,000 postgraduate students and 500 PhD scholars receiving assistance. So far, 27 India Data and AI Labs have been established, with 543 more identified for rollout.
The upcoming summit is expected to further articulate India’s approach to AI governance and adoption, even as global conversations intensify around balancing innovation with safeguards.
-IANS
