World Leaders and Tech CEOs Unite at India AI Impact Summit 2026 to Champion Responsible and Inclusive AI
The opening ceremony of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam brought together world leaders and technology pioneers in what many described as a defining moment for artificial intelligence. The summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, setting the tone for global cooperation on responsible innovation, scientific advancement, and inclusive AI governance.
Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw outlined India’s AI strategy as one rooted in democratisation, scale, and technological sovereignty. He highlighted India’s integrated approach across five layers of the AI stack — applications, models, compute, talent, and energy — with a focus on real-world deployment in healthcare, agriculture, education, and public services.
AI as “Infrastructure of Intelligence”
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, described AI as the next foundational infrastructure, calling it the “infrastructure of intelligence.” Comparing its transformative potential to steam engines, electricity, and the internet, he emphasized India’s digital public infrastructure achievements and urged that AI tools reach every citizen. He noted that the emerging era of “abundant intelligence” will make trust, stewardship, and human capability the most valuable resources.
Rapid Advances and Shared Responsibility
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, described recent advances in AI as “staggering,” noting the technology’s exponential progress and its potential to surpass human cognitive capabilities across many domains. While highlighting opportunities to cure diseases and reduce poverty, he stressed the need for governments and companies to collaborate to manage disruption and ensure shared prosperity.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, called AI “the biggest platform shift of a lifetime,” emphasizing its potential to accelerate scientific discovery and help emerging economies leapfrog legacy gaps. He warned, however, that without responsible development, the digital divide could evolve into an AI divide.
Global Governance and Inclusive AI
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, praised India for hosting the first major AI summit in the Global South and stressed that AI’s future must not be dictated by a small group of nations or private interests. He highlighted recent UN initiatives, including an independent international scientific panel on AI and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and called for guardrails to preserve human oversight and accountability.
Delivering the keynote address, Emmanuel Macron underscored the importance of sovereign, collaborative AI development amid accelerating technological competition. Drawing parallels between India’s digital public infrastructure revolution and the current AI transformation, he emphasized that innovation must be paired with responsibility and strategic autonomy, adding that India and France can help shape a balanced global AI future.
The participation of global political leaders, multilateral institutions, and technology pioneers at the summit’s inaugural session underscored its emergence as a pivotal platform for shaping the trajectory of artificial intelligence in an interconnected and rapidly evolving world.
