The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is in full swing at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. After a high-energy kick-off yesterday, the event is currently moving into its second day of shaping the global conversation on artificial intelligence, taking up major issues such as job disruption and child safety, with several world leaders set to participate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the five-day AI Impact Summit, which seeks to outline a "shared roadmap for global AI governance and collaboration."
The event brings together leading technology companies, startups, academic and research institutions, Union ministries, state governments, and international partners.
A key highlight will be 13 dedicated country pavilions featuring Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan, and Africa, underscoring growing international cooperation in the AI landscape.
More than 2.5 lakh attendees, including overseas delegates, are expected to take part in the summit.
The global landscape for data centres is shifting, and India has emerged as a major player, ranking 7th globally with $7 billion in dedicated investments. This infrastructure provides the essential backbone for an economy increasingly defined by artificial intelligence and high-speed computation.
Domestic Distribution Of Gen AI Startups In India
The domestic landscape reveals a concentrated surge of innovation in India. According to data shared by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), Karnataka has solidified its position as the primary engine of India's generative AI movement, hosting 39 per cent of the country's Gen-AI startups. Gen AI, short for Generative Artificial Intelligence, refers to a class of AI systems that can create entirely new content, such as text, images, audio, video, or code, by learning patterns from large datasets and generating original outputs based on that learning.
This regional leadership of India's Gen-AI startup is followed by Maharashtra at 14% and Delhi at 9%, showcasing a growing geographic spread of high-tech entrepreneurship.
With approximately 1.8 lakh startups and over 1,800 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) operating nationwide, the scale of this transformation is unprecedented.
Where India Stands In Global AI Investment
India has emerged as one of the leading countries investing in the creation of a global AI infrastructure. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) data for the first three quarters of 2025 show France leading worldwide with investments of $69 million, followed by the United States at $29 million. South Korea and Brazil hold the third and fourth positions, respectively.
India ranks seventh globally, with an investment of $7 million, ahead of Italy at $5 million and Malaysia at $4 million.
At the heart of this evolution is the IndiaAI Mission, a government-led initiative backed by a significant financial outlay of Rs 10,371.92 crore. The mission's objective is clear: to build world-class compute power by deploying 38,000 GPUs. This infrastructure is not just a technical milestone but a catalyst for massive economic growth. The projected economic impact of these AI-driven initiatives is estimated at a staggering $1.7 trillion, contributing to a total technology revenue exceeding $280 billion.
The human element remains India's greatest competitive advantage. A massive workforce of 6 million professionals is currently driving this digital shift, working toward a national AI adoption index that currently stands at 2.45 out of 4.0. As world leaders gather in 2026, they will witness a nation that has successfully transitioned from a back-office hub to a global AI powerhouse, where policy, capital, and talent converge to redefine the future of the global digital economy.
