Tech Explained: Here’s a simplified explanation of the latest technology update around Tech Explained: Tech leader: India positions itself as global hub for affordable AI in Simple Termsand what it means for users..
By Ritu Jha-
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 drew about 200,000 students, global technology executives and policymakers to New Delhi in February, highlighting the country’s growing ambition to shape the future of artificial intelligence.
The six-day event, held from Feb. 16 to 21 at Bharat Mandapam, featured delegates from more than a dozen countries and focused on themes ranging from human capital and inclusion to safe and trusted AI and economic growth.
MR Rangaswami, a Silicon Valley veteran and co-founder of Sand Hill Group, attended the summit alongside members of Indiaspora and is now organizing a follow-up gathering in Bengaluru scheduled for March 25.
Rangaswami described the New Delhi summit as an unusual convergence of global and domestic influence.
“The Prime Minister managed to get Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, all on the same stage; it was incredible,” Rangaswami said. “And for them all to make commitments to invest in India, that was a big takeaway.”
The summit also featured India’s top industrial leaders, underscoring the country’s commitment to expanding its role in the AI sector.
“It was really good to see India’s commitment, the commitment of global companies to India. It was all on one stage,” Rangaswami said.
Organizers structured the expo across more than 70,000 square meters, with programming built around seven thematic areas designed to connect researchers, startups and policymakers.
Rangaswami said India’s scale and widespread adoption of digital tools position it to lead in developing cost-effective AI solutions.
“India, because it has the inclusiveness of technology within its own population, can be the testbed for inexpensive AI,” he said. “This frugal innovation could redefine how the developing world adopts technology.”
He added that such solutions could extend beyond India to other emerging economies.
“I think that could be India’s role as a gateway to the Global South for AI,” Rangaswami said.
Despite the optimism, Rangaswami acknowledged significant challenges ahead, particularly for India’s IT services sector.
“I think India has the talent, and all the services companies now need to transform into AI first,” he said. “That’s the challenge.”
He pointed to the rise of Global Capability Centers, or GCCs, as a shift in how multinational companies operate in India.
“The GCCs are a substitute for H-1B because all these American companies are setting up shop in India,” Rangaswami said.
He also addressed a controversy involving an academic institution that misrepresented a foreign-made robot as its own innovation, calling it a learning moment.
“There was a big lesson learned, which is don’t copy, don’t lie, do your own innovations,” Rangaswami said.
Rangaswami said he was encouraged by the strong presence of students at the summit, calling their participation a sign of India’s future potential.
“The young people who were allowed to come to the conference made the aspirations of India visible,” he said. “If they can dream big and work in AI, it’s good for India.”
At the same time, he warned that artificial intelligence will disrupt labor markets globally.
“There will be job losses in every sector, and that’s a given,” Rangaswami said. “The hope is there will be new jobs created, but we don’t yet know what those jobs are.”
He urged workers, especially young people, to continuously adapt.
“The key message is to keep learning new skills because the world is going to keep changing,” Rangaswami said.
The upcoming Bengaluru summit aims to build on the momentum from New Delhi by focusing on practical implementation and collaboration across industries.
“We are doing a summit one month after the other to take stock of what happened and bring global leaders together with communities in India,” Rangaswami said.
Looking ahead, Rangaswami downplayed concerns about national competition in AI development, emphasizing the global nature of the technology.
“I think India is the biggest user of AI now,” he said. “If companies want AI to be successful, they have to be in India.”