4. India AI Impact Summit 2026: Positioning the Global South in the AI Race

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is hosting the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (February 16–20). As the fourth global edition following summits in the UK, South Korea, and France, this event marks a strategic shift. India is leveraging its position as the first \'Global South\' host to transition the global dialogue from theoretical AI safety toward tangible developmental impact, social empowerment, and the democratization of digital resources. • Strategic Sovereignty through IndiaAI Mission: The summit showcases the progress of the ₹10,372 crore IndiaAI Mission. Central to this is the IndiaAI Compute pillar, which has already onboarded over 38,000 GPUs to provide affordable high-performance computing to domestic startups and researchers, reducing dependence on foreign infrastructure. • AI as Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): India is advocating for the \'India AI Stack,\' proposing that government-funded AI models be treated as global DPI. This mirrors the success of UPI and Aadhaar, offering modular, scalable AI solutions to other developing nations for public service delivery and financial inclusion. • The Three Sutras & Seven Chakras: The summit is anchored by three foundational pillars—People, Planet, and Progress. These are operationalized through seven \'Chakras\' (working groups) focusing on themes like Human Capital, Safe and Trusted AI, and Science, aiming to move from high-level political declarations to actionable sectoral outcomes. • Global Leadership and Talent Hub: While the US and China lead in foundational models, India ranks 3rd globally in the 2025 Stanford Global AI Vibrancy Index. India boasts the second-largest AI talent pool and the highest year-on-year growth in AI hiring, positioning it as the world\'s \'back-office\' for AI development and deployment.• Collaborative Governance & Safety: Building on the Bletchley Park Declaration (2023) and the Seoul Statement (2024), the summit seeks consensus on a global doctrine. Participating nations are expected to sign frameworks for the responsible use of AI in defense, cybersecurity, and disaster management while addressing risks like deepfakes and misinformation. • Inclusive Innovation (BharatGen): A major highlight is BharatGen, the world\'s first government-funded multimodal LLM project. It focuses on creating foundational models tailored to India’s diverse languages and cultural nuances, ensuring that the benefits of Generative AI are not limited to English-speaking urban populations. Key Definitions • Foundational Models: Large-scale AI models (like GPT-4 or Gemini) trained on vast datasets that can be adapted to a wide range of downstream tasks such as translation, coding, or reasoning. • AI Compute: The specialized processing power (provided by GPUs/TPUs) required to train and run complex AI algorithms. It is currently a critical bottleneck in global AI development. • Global South: A term used to describe countries typically characterized as developing, newly industrialized, or in the process of industrializing, largely located in the Southern Hemisphere. Constitutional & Legal Provisions • Article 51A(h): Fundamental Duty to develop the \'scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform,\' which aligns with the adoption of transformative technologies like AI. • Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023: Provides the legal framework for data privacy, which is essential for training AI models responsibly and maintaining public trust. • IT Act, 2000 & Rules: Currently the primary legal tool for regulating AI-generated content, specifically addressing challenges like deepfakes and cybercrimes. • National Strategy for AI (#AIforAll): NITI Aayog’s 2018 roadmap which prioritizes five sectors: Healthcare, Agriculture, Education, Smart Cities, and Smart Mobility. Additional Key Points • Viksit Bharat 2047: The summit links AI adoption to the long-term vision of making India a developed nation by 2047, identifying AI as a \'kinetic enabler\' for 10%–12% GDP growth. • Venture Capital Gap: Despite high talent, Indian AI startups receive significantly lower funding compared to US peers; the summit aims to attract global marquee investors and VC firms to the Indian ecosystem. • Center of Excellence (CoE): The government has established CoEs in Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities, with a new ₹500 crore CoE for Education announced in the latest budget. Conclusion The India AI Impact Summit 2026 signifies India’s evolution from a consumer of technology to a global rulemaker. By focusing on \'Impact\' rather than just \'Safety,\' India is carving out a unique middle path that prioritizes innovation for social good. The success of this summit will be judged by its ability to finalize multilateral agreements that ensure AI remains an inclusive tool for human progress rather than a source of further global inequality. UPSC Relevance • GS Paper II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings; Effect of policies of developed and developing countries on India’s interests; Important International institutions (GPAI, UNESCO AI Ethics). • GS Paper III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications; IT and Computers; Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nanotechnology, Bio-technology.• GS Paper IV (Ethics): Ethical concerns in AI (bias, privacy, accountability); Human-centric technology.