tech
February 23, 2026
‘People, scale, infectious optimism’: Here’s why India could be the new kid on the AI block
From cheap GPUs to soil sensors and real-time translation, New Delhi’s AI summit signals a bid to lead AI for the Global South
TL;DR
- India hosted the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, showcasing domestically developed AI solutions for population-scale problems.
- The summit marked India's transition from a global back-office to a front-line AI laboratory.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the $1.4 billion IndiaAI Mission to establish state-of-the-art AI compute infrastructure.
- The mission includes providing GPUs to startups at a low cost, making AI development more accessible.
- Global tech leaders, including CEOs of OpenAI, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Google, attended, recognizing India's growing AI potential and user base.
- Companies like Microsoft announced significant investments in India's AI and cloud infrastructure and pledged to skill millions in AI.
- The summit featured an expo with over 600 startups showcasing market-ready AI solutions, particularly in healthcare and agriculture.
- India aims to leverage its large data generation and AI skill penetration to assert strategic autonomy in AI development.
- The event attracted an unprecedented 250,000 participants from 100 countries, underscoring India's significant role in the global AI conversation.
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