PM Modi's vision for India becoming "AI powerhouse" resonates at Impact Summit; youth, entrepreneurs throng venue

New Delhi [India], February 18 (ANI): All roads are leading to Bharat Mandapam as a crowd of young enthusiasts both entrepreneurs and students, throng the venue of the AI-India Impact Summit, hoping to cash in on critical conversations that are shaping Artificial Intelligence and its diffusion.
The Summit brings together global technology leaders, eminent researchers, multilateral institutions and industry stakeholders to deliberate on the role of AI in advancing inclusive growth, strengthening public systems and enabling sustainable development.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has hailed the young minds for their passion for artificial intelligence and their large attendance at the AI Summit. He shared how India is using AI to solve real-world problems and gave a call to the top minds who have gathered at the summit to bring solutions that make AI safe for all.
"Yesterday we had about 250,000 people attending. It was a phenomenal response when I interacted with the young minds. I was so surprised at the optimism which the young people expressed towards this opportunity towards them. Looking at their optimism, I am feeling really hopeful for a totally new future for our country and the world," the minister said.
Sharing how India has an inclusive approach to AI cutting across sectors, Vaishnaw added, "We in India are very hopeful for AI in the edge, AI for use cases, solving real-world problems, improving productivity in enterprises, for population-scale problems like healthcare and agriculture."
The Union Minister echoed PM Modi, who in his interview to ANI, hailed India's talent and entrepreneurial energy to become an AI powerhouse. PM Modi said the government remains committed to strengthening every effort by the youth to make AI into a "force-multiplier" for innovation.
"India has the talent and entrepreneurial energy to become an AI powerhouse, not just as a consumer, but a creator. Our startups, research institutions and tech ecosystem can build AI solutions that enhance manufacturing, improve governance and generate new jobs. I am confident that our youth can build AI solutions for Indian realities, designed for farmers, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs and grassroots innovators. We remain committed to strengthening every effort by our talented youth to make AI a force-multiplier for innovation and inclusion. The Union Budget 2026-27 reinforces this vision. It expands support for data centres and cloud infrastructure, strengthening domestic compute capacity," he said.
PM Modi said that under the IndiaAI framework, startups and research institutions are being supported with access to high-performance AI compute resources." Continued push for semiconductor manufacturing, electronics PLI, AI Centres of Excellence and digital skilling strengthens both hardware and human capital foundations. In short, we are not just nurturing talent, but we are building the infrastructure, policy ecosystem and skills base required for India to move from participating in the AI revolution to shaping it," the PM said.
Former G20 Sherpa of India Amitabh Kant has also asserted that India has the talent and data to become a top AI power while ensuring its availability to all.
"I agree with the vision the Prime Minister has set before the country, because India has the talent, the data... so that when we grow, we grow with equality. We agree that India will be one of the top-most powers of AI, simply because of talent and data. We will also ensure that there is accessibility for our citizens," Amitabh Kant said.
Backing PM Narendra Modi's remarks, Kant noted that India's expanding IT market will play a crucial role in this transformation. He highlighted the importance of IT companies in advancing AI adoption and pointed to India's success in developing open APIs and globally interoperable digital models as key strengths in this journey. Indian AI market is expanding rapidly and despite AI, we will require the IT companies to play a key role... We have demonstrated open APIs and globally interoperable models," he said.
Amandeep Singh Gill, United Nations Under Secretary-General and United Nations' Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technology, said that India with its huge talent pool can work with the world on this area.
"I think by working together with other countries not just in the Global South but countries that are struggling to get ahead in the AI development effort. So by sharing its experience, the digital public infrastructure, by reinforcing interoperability, by sharing use cases, by working together with other countries in similar situations on data sets that work in domains like agriculture, health, and education, and also reinforcing the human capacity, the talent development. India has an enormous talent pool, and it has started to reinforce that talent development. And I think these are all areas where India can work with the rest of the world," he said.
The AI-India Impact Summit's intellectual framework rests on three foundational Sutras. The first is People, affirming that AI must serve humanity in all its diversity while preserving dignity and inclusivity. The second is Planet, ensuring that innovation aligns with environmental stewardship and sustainability. The third is Progress, emphasising that AI's benefits must be equitably shared across societies. Together, these principles blend ambition with responsibility.
The Summit positions India as a convenor and partner in global AI cooperation, supporting shared standards, collaborative frameworks, and scalable solutions for public good. It marks a transition from dialogue to delivery, reinforcing India's commitment to responsible, inclusive, and development-focused AI pathways. (ANI)