New Delhi, 16 February (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on Monday at Bharat Mandapam, heralding India's leadership in ethical, inclusive artificial intelligence under the theme Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya—welfare and happiness for all—amid packed halls drawing 2.5 lakh registrations, 3,250 speakers, and 500 sessions through February 20.
The landmark Global South-hosted event—first of its kind—features pavilions from 13 nations including Australia, Japan, UK, France, and Germany, alongside 600 startups across 70,000 sqm showcasing AI in healthcare, agriculture, and governance; global icons like Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, and heads of state from France (Emmanuel Macron) and Brazil (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) join for dialogues on equitable AI amid the ₹10,372 crore IndiaAI Mission unveiling 12 indigenous models in 22 languages.
Key Announcements and Strategic Partnerships
PM Modi toured exhibits post-inauguration, engaging innovators on robotic tele-ultrasound and predictive analytics; Union Health Minister JP Nadda launches SAHI (AI healthcare strategy) and BODH (health AI benchmarking) Tuesday, while TCS-AMD partner on Helios rack-scale AI infrastructure to challenge Nvidia, and NPCI pilots UPI One World wallets for 40+ nations' delegates.
Ministers like Ashwini Vaishnaw stressed deepfake countermeasures via 30-country talks, Jitin Prasada highlighted maximum AI skill penetration without over-regulation, and MeitY's S Krishnan noted job creation outweighing losses through GPU access at ₹65/hour.
Ethical Debates and Sectoral Transformations
Microsoft India's Puneet Chandok asserted AI unbundles jobs, doesn't kill them, echoing CEA V Anantha Nageswaran's call for urgent skilling; Rana Daggubati warned AI rapidly reshapes cinema, while experts like Qure.ai's Ankit Modi touted 50% faster diagnoses serving 40 million globally.
Vaishnaw emphasized cultural-legal adherence for platforms, UNICEF's Cynthia McCaffrey urged child-centric safeguards, and Goa pitched for AI/semiconductor hubs—amid logistical hiccups like queues and connectivity—positioning India centrally in the AI century via Jan Bhagidari for sustainable, human-centric progress.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
