- India is hosting the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi with top global tech CEOs attending.
- The country is seen as a critical AI growth market due to scale, users and policy support.
- Major AI infrastructure and semiconductor investments are expected to expand.
- India’s engineering talent and leadership pool are central to global AI strategy.
India is set to take center stage in the global artificial intelligence race this week as some of the world’s most influential technology leaders arrive in New Delhi for the AI Impact Summit. The guest list reads like a who’s who of Silicon Valley.
OpenAI chief Sam Altman, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and Google DeepMind leader Demis Hassabis are all expected to attend.
The summit places India firmly in the spotlight at a time when AI strategy is shaping geopolitics, trade negotiations and corporate investment decisions. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was previously expected to attend but reportedly stepped back due to unforeseen circumstances.
For Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, the event represents more than a conference. It is a statement of intent. India wants to be seen not just as a large consumer market but as a core pillar in the future of AI development.
Why India Has Become Impossible to Ignore
India’s appeal to global technology firms is straightforward and powerful. It has one of the world’s youngest populations, a fast growing base of digital consumers and a deep reservoir of engineering talent. Smartphone adoption continues to expand, internet penetration is rising and millions of new users are coming online every year.
For companies building AI systems that rely on scale, data and real world testing, that combination is compelling. India is already among the top markets for AI chatbots and productivity tools. OpenAI’s ChatGPT has gained rapid traction in the country, and competitors such as Perplexity are pushing aggressively to grow their user base.
Unlike some markets where strong domestic players dominate, India does not yet have a homegrown AI chatbot leader capable of matching the scale of US giants. That leaves room for international firms to establish brand loyalty and gather valuable usage data early.
At the same time, relations between India and the United States are undergoing a strategic reset, with both sides working toward a deeper trade partnership. Technology and AI cooperation are emerging as key pillars of that evolving relationship.
Infrastructure, Investment and the Race for Compute
AI is not just about algorithms. It is about infrastructure. Data centers, semiconductor supply chains and high performance computing resources now sit at the heart of national strategy.
India has already approved billions of dollars in semiconductor projects as part of a broader ambition to build domestic manufacturing capacity. The government has also encouraged global companies to expand production locally. Apple, for example, has steadily increased its manufacturing footprint in the country.
In December, companies including Amazon, Microsoft and Intel committed to building AI related infrastructure in India. More announcements could follow during the summit as firms look to secure long term positions in a market that promises scale and policy support.
For multinational corporations, India offers a way to diversify operations beyond traditional hubs while tapping into government incentives. For New Delhi, attracting AI infrastructure investment strengthens its bid to become a global technology powerhouse rather than simply an outsourcing destination.
The Talent Engine Powering the Next AI Wave
If infrastructure is one pillar, talent is the other. India has long been known for its software engineers and IT services sector. Now that strength is increasingly focused on AI, data science and digital engineering.
A growing number of Global Capability Centers are being established across major Indian cities. These offshore hubs serve as strategic arms of international companies, handling everything from product development to advanced research. A significant portion of new centers launched in recent years have focused on AI and related technologies.
What is changing is not just the volume of talent but the level of responsibility. Companies are no longer limiting Indian teams to support functions. Senior leadership roles, including chief AI officers and advanced research heads, are increasingly being based in India. That shift reflects confidence in the country’s ability to lead, not just execute.
For global tech leaders attending the AI Impact Summit, the message is clear. India is not a peripheral player in artificial intelligence. It is becoming one of the main arenas where the next chapter of AI will be written.
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