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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, today held a high-level press conference ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, chaired by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics & Information Technology. The event was also attended by Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics & IT; Shri Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and other senior MeitY officials. The press conference outlined key developments, confirmed global participation, and previewed the India AI Impact Summit’s anticipated outcomes as India prepares to host the first-ever global AI summit in the Global South from February 16–20, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.Addressing the audience, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the India AI Impact Summit has received a phenomenal response from across the world and is shaping up to be the biggest AI summit so far globally. He referred to the recent interactions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with industry leaders, developers and innovators working across the AI value chain, including models, applications and infrastructure, noting that these engagements reflected the systematic progress of India’s AI ecosystem and a strong focus on deployment-led solutions. The Minister stated that leading IT companies have developed more than 200 focused, sector-specific AI models, which are proposed to be launched during the AI Impact Summit. He further said that investments worth nearly USD 70 billion are already flowing into the AI infrastructure layer, with the potential to double by the conclusion of the Summit, and that AI talent development will be scaled up by extending AI infrastructure and industry-finalised curricula to 500 universities, creating a strong talent pipeline for the sector.
A Compendium featuring reflections from around 60 leading industry experts on the future of AI and its role in driving inclusive growth, innovation, and societal impact, titled “The Impact Agenda: Leadership Reflections” was also launched by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw. Cni