India to host AI impact summit 2026, leading global dialogue on democratising AI

New Delhi, July 30 India is set to host the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, reinforcing its commitment to democratising Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the public good, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

This landmark event aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making technology accessible to all and leveraging AI to tackle real-world challenges across healthcare, education, agriculture, climate, and governance, Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav told the Lok Sabha.

The IndiaAI mission, which prioritises accountability, safety, equity, and the defence of privacy and human rights, is at the core of India's AI strategy.

According to the statement, one of the main highlights is the creation of native Large and Small Language Models using Indian datasets.

Currently, startups such as Sarvam AI, Soket AI, Gnani AI, and Gan AI are developing foundational models that are suited to the linguistic and cultural diversity of India.

According to the statement, these models will be open-source, allowing other startups to create locally tailored applications.

According to Minister Vaishnaw, to support scalable innovation, the government is also enhancing AI compute capacity by ensuring GPU infrastructure access and expanding the AIKosh Datasets Platform, which currently hosts over 1,000 datasets and 208 AI models, including Text-to-Speech tools in Indian languages.

Additionally, the mission is funding 30 AI-based applications addressing public interest areas like health, climate, and governance.

Through its IndiaAI Startups Global Programme, 10 startups are being mentored at Station F and HEC Paris, including PrivaSapien Technologies (privacy-enhancing AI) and Secure Blink (AI cybersecurity).

Ensuring safe and trusted AI, India has established the IndiaAI Safety Institute to coordinate efforts on responsible AI.

Projects under this initiative include AI bias mitigation, machine unlearning, and watermarking, as per the statement A strong legal framework that addresses AI-related risks like disinformation, deepfakes, and data misuse, such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023), IT Act (2000), and IT Rules (2021), supports the tech initiatives.

A techno-legal approach underpins India’s regulation, combining legislation with government-funded R&D on deepfake detection, privacy, and cybersecurity tools, according to the written reply. India's hosting of the 2026 summit further solidifies its position as a global leader in the development of AI that is inclusive, moral, and driven by innovation.

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