Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw addresses a press conference for the upcoming ‘AI Impact Summit’, in New Delhi, January 30, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The India AI Impact Summit 2026, being organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) from February 16 to 20, has received a phenomenal response from across the world, and is shaping up to be the biggest such event so far globally, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday (January 30, 2026).
At a press conference, Mr. Vaishnaw 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.
Leading IT companies had developed over 200 focused and sector-specific AI models, which were expected to be launched during the summit, the Minister said. Investments worth nearly $70 billion were already flowing into the AI infrastructure layer, with the potential to double by the conclusion of the event, he said. AI talent development would be scaled up by extending infrastructure and industry-finalised curricula to 500 universities.
Responding to a query, the Minister said that nuclear power would be a key component going forward as AI requires a huge amount of energy. “On the energy layer, our robust grid is being recognised by the world today,” he said, underscoring that 50% of India’s energy generation capacity is green power today.
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 Mr. Vaishnaw.
The event was attended by Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics and IT; Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, and other senior MeitY officials.
“The summit’s central objective is to advance the democratisation of technology, particularly AI, to ensure that its benefits reach a wide cross-section of society,” MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said.
The summit week will feature around 500 curated events across Bharat Mandapam and Sushma Swaraj Bhawan. The AI Impact Expo will host over 840 exhibitors, including country pavilions, Ministries, State governments, industry, startups, and research institutions, and showcasing AI solutions with proven real-world impact.
The conference has confirmed the participation of 15 Heads of State Government, more than 40 Ministers, over 100 leading CEOs and CXOs, and more than 100 eminent academics. Industry partners, including Jio, Qualcomm, OpenAI, Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and the Gates Foundation, are expected to participate in the event.
Published – January 30, 2026 08:53 pm IST
