AI Impact summit LIVE! India stands at the forefront of AI transformation, says PM Modi

Goa eyes AI, deep-tech push under India AI Mission, says minister

Banking on the Centre’s India AI Mission, Goa is positioning itself as an emerging hub for artificial intelligence, deep-tech research and semiconductor-linked sectors, state IT Minister Rohan Khaunte said on February 16. The remarks come as the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi brings together global CEOs, policymakers and industry leaders, alongside a Rs 1,000 crore national AI push focused on R&D, computing access and startup support.

Khaunte described the AI Mission as a major step for India’s technology ambitions, noting that the Union Budget has allocated over Rs 21,600 crore for IT, electronics and communications. He said the scale of participation at the summit reflects India’s growing leadership in emerging technologies under the vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047”.

For Goa, traditionally driven by tourism and IT, the AI thrust presents a strategic opportunity. The state is working towards a Goa AI Mission with a 2027 target, aimed at bringing together industry, academia and government to shape policy and build capacity in artificial intelligence and related sectors.

The minister said Goa will focus on skilling, reskilling and upskilling talent to attract investments in AI, deep-tech, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. With limited land availability, the state plans to prioritise high-value industries, measuring success in terms of revenue and employment generated per square metre.

Khaunte also said Goa is strengthening e-governance and will soon launch an AI-powered chatbot for public services. Emphasising the state’s quality of life and connectivity, he argued that Goa can evolve beyond tourism into a knowledge hub attractive to professionals in AI, research and creative industries.

Lower power costs will define success of AI–renewable convergence, says official

The convergence of artificial intelligence and renewable energy will be considered successful when it leads to lower electricity costs for consumers and improved industrial competitiveness, a senior government official said on February 16.

Speaking at a session titled ‘Global Mission on AI for Energy Scaling through Citizen-Centric India Energy Stack’ at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, JVN Subramanyam, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), said AI is set to be a game changer, particularly for distributed renewable energy systems.

India currently has a total power capacity of around 520 GW, including nearly 35 GW of distributed renewable energy capacity. Subramanyam said that over the next two to three years, the real test of AI and renewable energy convergence would be whether overall power costs decline, industrial competitiveness improves, and consumers transition into “prosumers” who both produce and consume energy.

He added that a major challenge lies in strengthening distribution systems and maintaining energy assets being developed across the country.

Hemang Jani, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director for India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the World Bank, said AI should be viewed not merely as a technology but as development infrastructure. While AI cannot directly deliver fiscal prudence or governance reforms, he said, it can serve as a powerful enabler for achieving those goals.

AI is rewriting the grammar of cinema, says Rana Daggubati at AI Impact Summit

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way films are imagined and produced, actor Rana Daggubati said on February 16, describing the technology as a major shift for large-scale cinema. Speaking at a session titled ‘AI x Creativity: Skilling for Innovation in the Intelligent Economy’ at the AI Impact Summit, he said AI now allows filmmakers to visualise their movies in detail even before shooting begins.

“In the visual effects world, earlier, getting a shot done used to take 3–5 days. But now that has come down to just 2–3 hours. Besides, a filmmaker can now watch his movie even before shooting really begins,” Daggubati said, noting that AI-driven pre-visualisation reduces uncertainty and sharpens creative decisions in big-budget productions.

He, however, stressed that core human abilities remain irreplaceable. “Storytelling, understanding of cultural context, and social literacy” cannot be substituted, he said, adding that the real divide in the future would be between those building intellectual property on AI tools and those merely using them. He also suggested that ownership of large IP universes may increasingly shift from big studios to independent creators.

Ashish Kulkarni, founder of Punnaryug Artvision, said while AI enhances pre-production and pre-visualisation, foundational creative skills and emotional intelligence must continue to be taught. An MoU was exchanged between Adobe and Nasscom for the Future Skills Prime initiative during the session, which was attended by industry leaders and moderated by Mala Sharma of Adobe.

The AI Impact Expo 2026, being held in New Delhi from February 16 to 20, is expected to draw over 2.5 lakh visitors and aims to foster global partnerships and business opportunities within the AI ecosystem.

PM Modi inaugurates India AI Impact Expo, interacts with startups

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 16 inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo in New Delhi and interacted with startups participating in the event.

During his visit to Bharat Mandapam, the Prime Minister toured multiple stalls, engaged with company representatives, and reviewed innovations on display.

The expo features over 600 high-potential startups and 13 country pavilions highlighting international collaboration within the AI ecosystem. It brings together global technology firms, startups, academia and research institutions, central and state governments, as well as international partners.

PM Modi tours AI expo ahead of inauguration at Bharat Mandapam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 16 took a tour of the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, ahead of formally inaugurating the event.

The India AI Impact Expo 2026 is being held from February 16 to 20 alongside the India AI Impact Summit. The theme of this year’s summit is Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya, underscoring the focus on harnessing artificial intelligence for collective welfare and inclusive growth.

AI summit will focus on balancing benefits and risks, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on February 16 said the India AI Impact Summit will examine both the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence, with a focus on ensuring balanced outcomes for society.

Speaking at the summit, Vaishnaw highlighted AI’s positive applications in areas such as weather forecasting, climate change mitigation, agriculture, new material discovery, and productivity enhancement. At the same time, he acknowledged potential negative impacts that require careful policy consideration.

“In the next few days of the AI summit, we are looking at the impact of AI on human society… We are looking at how to balance these impacts so we can capture the benefits while containing the harms. We will come out with a good outcome from this summit,” he said.

India will be AI service provider for Global South and world: Jitin Prasada

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT and Commerce & Industry Jitin Prasada said the event marks a significant moment for the Global South, with India positioning itself as a key player in the global AI ecosystem.

He noted that this is among the first instances of a Global South nation hosting such a large-scale AI summit with participation from across the world. Emphasising India’s broader ambitions, Prasada said the country aims to serve not just domestic needs but also contribute to developing nations.

“It’s AI not only for India but also for the world. We will cater and India will be that service provider for the whole world. We have to contribute to the world as well as to the Global South and developing countries,” he said.

TCS, AMD expand AI partnership to rival Nvidia in India’s growing market

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has deepened its India push by expanding its partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to develop large-scale AI infrastructure, positioning themselves as competitors to Nvidia in one of the world’s fastest-growing AI markets.

Under the expanded collaboration, TCS and AMD will co-develop a rack-scale AI infrastructure design based on AMD’s ‘Helios’ platform, aimed at serving large enterprises and meeting emerging sovereign AI requirements. The initiative will be executed through TCS’s subsidiary, HyperVault AI Data Center Limited.

The partnership includes plans for an AI-ready data centre blueprint that can scale up to 200 megawatts, enabling high-performance computing capabilities to support advanced AI workloads.

The announcement was made as the AI Impact Summit commenced in New Delhi, highlighting India’s rising prominence in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem.

PM Modi to inaugurate India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the India AI Impact Expo 2026 on February 16 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

The five-day expo, being held from February 16 to 20 alongside the India AI Impact Summit, is expected to draw over 2.5 lakh visitors, including international delegates. The event aims to foster global partnerships and unlock business opportunities within the expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem.

More than 500 sessions are scheduled during the expo, with over 3,250 speakers and panel members set to participate, reflecting India’s growing ambition to position itself as a key player in the global AI landscape.

Prasoon Joshi says AGI will transform human thinking, calls for balanced approach at AI Impact Summit 2026

Veteran lyricist and CBFC Chairperson Prasoon Joshi on Monday attended the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi and spoke about the transformative potential of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

Speaking to ANI, Joshi said AI is unlike earlier linear technologies such as the steam engine, as it touches the fundamentals of thinking, innovation, and idea generation. He noted that AGI will significantly impact how humans work in the future.

While rejecting extreme views, he said AI presents real challenges that require thoughtful and collective responses to adapt to the changes it will bring.

The AI Impact Summit, being held from February 16 to 20, has drawn leaders from over 20 countries, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The event marks the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South and reflects India’s push for an inclusive and sovereign AI framework.