'Nice to be back': Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrives in India for AI Impact Summit

New Delhi [India], February 18 (ANI): Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrived here in the national capital on Wednesday for the Global AI Impact Summit 2026. Pichai will deliver the keynote address on February 20 at the summit.
In a post on X, CEO Pichai said, "Nice to be back in India for the AI Impact Summit - a very warm welcome as always and the papers looked great too."

Nice to be back in India for the AI Impact Summit - a very warm welcome as always and the papers looked great too:) pic.twitter.com/szM9g2wB4d

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) February 18, 2026

Meanwhile, in a special interview with ANI's text service, the Prime Minister spoke about the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the IT industry and the government's strategy to strengthen the sector.
"India's IT sector has been the backbone of our services exports and a key driver of economic growth. AI presents both a tremendous opportunity and a challenge for this sector. AI market projections show India's IT sector could reach $400 billion by 2030, driven by new waves of AI-enabled outsourcing and domain-specific automation," he said.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is being held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. It started on February 16 and will run up to February 20, 2026. The Summit brought together government policymakers, industry AI experts, academicians, technology innovators and civil society from across the world at New Delhi to advance global discussions on artificial intelligence.
The India AI Impact Summit, the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South, aims to reflect on the transformative potential of, AI, aligning with the national vision of "Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya" (welfare for all, happiness for all) and the global principle of AI for Humanity.
The Summit will have participation of more than 110 countries, 30 International organizations, including about 20 HoS/HoG level participation, about 45 Ministers.
The AI summit is part of an evolving international process aimed at strengthening global cooperation on the governance, safety, and societal impact of AI.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is guided by three Sutras or foundational pillars - People, Planet, and Progress. These sutras articulate the core principles for global cooperation on artificial intelligence. They aim to promote human-centric AI that safeguards rights and ensures equitable benefits across societies, environmentally sustainable advancement of AI, and inclusive economic and technological advancement. (ANI)