India Positions Itself at Centre of Global AI Debate at Impact Summit 2026
New Delhi, February 19: India projected an ambitious vision for artificial intelligence governance and industry growth at the AI Impact Summit 2026, with global technology leaders, policymakers and business heads calling for collaboration, investment and human-centric regulation to shape the future of the technology.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the leaders’ plenary session, said the aspirations of the Global South must remain central to AI governance as countries design rules for emerging technologies. He outlined India’s “MANAV Vision”, a framework aimed at ensuring ethical, accountable and inclusive use of artificial intelligence.
Industry leaders emphasised that the technology’s potential would depend on cooperation between governments and private enterprises. Meta’s Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang called for bold national strategies and deep public-private collaboration, identifying talent, energy, data and computing capacity as the four key building blocks required to deploy AI effectively for citizens and economies.
OpenAI chief Sam Altman described India as a major force in future innovation and suggested the country would influence the global evolution of AI technologies. Corporate announcements at the summit reflected growing investment interest, with Reliance Industries outlining a ₹10 lakh crore investment plan in artificial intelligence and related infrastructure over the coming years.
Technology and industrial groups also highlighted ongoing development across the ecosystem. The Tata Group indicated work had begun on industry-specific AI chips and data-centre infrastructure, while Microsoft said India was among its largest destinations for AI investment, with plans to expand technology deployment and skills development. Accenture and other global firms underlined the importance of inclusive growth and coordinated policy frameworks.
International participation reinforced the summit’s global significance. Leaders from Europe and other regions discussed cooperation in digital governance and innovation, with multiple countries expressing interest in continued engagement and future summits.
Observers noted that discussions moved beyond technological capability to issues of regulation, economic development and equitable access. The emphasis on skilling, infrastructure and partnerships highlighted AI’s transformation into a strategic sector affecting trade, industry and employment.
With governments, corporations and researchers converging on common themes of trust, inclusion and shared standards, the summit positioned India as both a major market and a policy voice in shaping the next phase of global artificial intelligence development.
