India to host AI Impact Summit in February 2026, focusing on democratising Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve real-world challenges across sectors

India will host the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, reaffirming Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s vision to democratise Artificial Intelligence (AI) for solving real-world challenges across key sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, governance, climate, and education. The IndiaAI Mission is anchored in a techno-legal approach that combines regulatory safeguards with technological solutions to ensure fairness, safety, accountability, and protection of human rights. The Government is supporting the development of indigenous large and small language models trained on Indian datasets to reflect local dialects and contexts. Four startups, namely Sarvam AI, Soket AI, Gnani AI, and Gan AI, have been selected to develop open-source foundational models. To strengthen computing access, 34,381 Graphics Processing Unit (GPUs) have been provisioned through the IndiaAI Compute Portal for use by academia, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), startups, and government bodies, with GPUs offered at Rs. 87.59 per hour (less than US$ 1), one-third of the global average, with 40% cost support by the Government.
The IndiaAI Datasets Platform, AIKosh, offers over 1,000 sector-specific datasets and 208 AI models, including voice and Text-to-Speech tools in Indian languages. Under the IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, 30 AI-based projects are being funded across healthcare, climate, agriculture, governance, and learning disabilities. Startups are building solutions for disease detection, flood mapping, soil testing, and inclusive education. India is also launching the IndiaAI Startups Global Programme in partnership with Station F and HEC Paris, enabling 10 Indian AI startups to expand into Europe. Legal oversight is provided through provisions in the Information Technology Act, 2000; Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023; Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023; and IT Rules, 2021. The IndiaAI Safety Institute is leading eight Responsible AI projects, including AI bias mitigation, privacy enhancement, watermarking, and deepfake detection, reinforcing India’s commitment to safe and inclusive AI development.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.