At the grand opening of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw declared that India has hosted the “first-ever AI summit in the Global South” and described it as the biggest artificial intelligence event held anywhere in the world.
Addressing a packed hall at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Vaishnaw said participation from 118 countries reflects global trust in India’s technology leadership. “This summit proves that the Global South is ready to shape the future of AI,” he said.
PM Modi, Macron and Tech Giants Share Stage
The event witnessed a rare gathering of world leaders and tech giants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote speech, while French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the audience with a strong message on AI independence.
Global tech leaders including Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Mukesh Ambani were present in the front rows. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also joined the global dialogue.
“AI Must Shape Humanity, Not Replace It”
Vaishnaw stressed that India’s AI policy is guided by PM Modi’s philosophy of inclusive growth. “AI should shape humanity, support inclusive development and build a sustainable future,” he said.
He described AI as a “foundational technology” that is transforming healthcare, agriculture, education and finance. According to him, India is working across every layer of the AI ecosystem to solve real-world problems at population scale.
58,000 GPUs: India’s Public Compute Revolution
In a major announcement, Vaishnaw said India now treats computing power as a public resource. Through a public-private partnership, the government has already made 38,000 GPUs available at affordable rates to startups, researchers and students. An additional 20,000 GPUs will soon be added, taking the total to 58,000.
“We believe compute should not be restricted to a few corporations. It must be accessible to innovators across the country,” he stated.
AI Sovereignty and Smaller Models Strategy
On AI sovereignty, Vaishnaw said India supports specialised and purpose-driven AI models rather than relying only on large, expensive frontier systems. He argued that more than 90% of real-world use cases can be handled by smaller, efficient AI models that cost less and deliver faster impact.
Call for Stronger Deepfake Regulations
The minister also raised concerns over deepfakes and digital harm. He called for stronger global regulations to protect children and society from misuse of AI. “We need concrete solutions to make AI safe, not just discussions,” he urged global experts.
Guinness Record and Massive Participation
The five-day summit, running from February 16 to 20, spans over 70,000 square metres and includes 13 country pavilions. The government expects over 2.5 lakh visitors.
In a major highlight, the summit entered the Guinness World Records for the highest number of student pledges taken within 24 hours for responsible AI use.
