India AI Impact Summit 2026 Highlights

India AI Impact Summit 2026: Key Highlights and Announcements

India has begun hosting the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam, bringing together global technology leaders, policymakers, and AI innovators. The five-day event, running through February 20, focuses on practical AI applications and advancing India's digital transformation agenda.

Summit Overview

The summit kicked off with participation from major tech companies including OpenAI and Google, along with over 40 countries represented through foreign delegates. The event's theme, "Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya" (for the benefit of all, for the happiness of all), reflects India's push for a people-first, democratic AI future.

Key Announcements

Vice President Emphasizes Human-Centric AI

India's Vice President CP Radhakrishnan highlighted India's commitment to public good, accessibility, and global cooperation. He emphasized bridging technological strengths of the Global North with the potential of the Global South.

Sarvam AI Challenges Global Giants

Bengaluru-based startup Sarvam AI emerged as a standout Indian exhibitor. The company showcased its Sarvam Vision model, which recently achieved top benchmark scores in optical character recognition (OCR), outperforming leading global models including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

Founded in 2023, Sarvam AI has positioned itself as a serious challenger in a space traditionally dominated by Western tech companies.

Wipro Showcases Medical Robotics

Wipro demonstrated AI-powered robotic systems designed for healthcare procedures. Company representatives indicated that adding AI capabilities could enable full automation with physician oversight.

UPI One World Extended to Delegates

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) extended its UPI One World wallet service to foreign delegates from approximately 40 countries, enabling real-time Person-to-Merchant transactions without local bank accounts.

Economic Advisor on AI Adoption

Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran stressed that AI adoption requires clear commitment and cannot happen by "drift." He outlined the need for strengthening education, developing high-quality skills, expanding labor-intensive service sectors, and removing regulatory bottlenecks.

Industry Participation

OpenAI drew strong interest with live demonstrations of ChatGPT, Codex, and Sora. According to reports, Sora became the standout attraction at the expo, while ChatGPT and Codex attracted steady crowds.

Looking Ahead

The summit continues through February 20, with expectations of more announcements on India's AI infrastructure, skills development, and international partnerships.

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