Ahead of upcoming AI summit to be hosted by India in February, the Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Friday said investments worth nearly USD 70 billion have already flown into the AI infrastructure.
These investments have the potential to double by the conclusion of the Summit, which is scheduled to be held from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
The minister made these remarks after interacting with the AI CEOs and experts in run up to the summit. His remarks come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for demonstrating excellence in AI as India has in UPI transactions system. Modi on Thursday met with industry leaders, developers and innovators working across the AI value chain, including models, applications and infrastructure. Modi said that these engagements reflected the systematic progress of India’s AI ecosystem and a strong focus on deployment-led solutions.
The minister outlined key developments on Friday, confirmed global participation, and previewed the India AI Impact Summit’s anticipated outcomes as India prepares to host the first-ever global AI summit in the Global South. “The summit has received a phenomenal response from across the world and is shaping up to be the biggest AI summit so far globally,” he said.
Leading IT companies have developed more than 200 focused, sector-specific AI models, which are proposed to be launched during the AI Impact Summit. The minister informed that AI talent development will be scaled up by extending AI infrastructure and industry-finalised curricula to 500 universities, creating a strong talent pipeline for the sector.
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” has also been launched ahead of the summit. The minister recounted the milestones achieved in the lead up to the summit and outlined what was to be expected during the landmark convening of industry, governments, academia, and civil society.
In parallel to pre-summit events in New Delhi, all seven Regional AI Impact Conferences held across Meghalaya, Gujarat, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Kerala have also been concluded. There has been successful completion of nearly 480-plus Pre-Summit events across India and globally, including 83 international engagements across 30 countries, with further activities scheduled through February 10, 2026.
The minister also confirmed participation of 15 Heads of State/Government, 40-plus ministers, over 100 leading CEOs and CXOs, and more than 100 eminent academics. Industry engagement has emerged as a cornerstone of the Summit. Industry partners including Jio, Qualcomm, OpenAI, Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and the Gates Foundation are expected to join the Summit.
