New Delhi: Visitors experience AI technology at an exhibition booth set up during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Thursday, February 19, 2026. (Photo: IANS/Prem Nath Pandey)
New Delhi, February 20 (IANS) The focus must shift from merely building data‑centre capacity to ensuring resources deliver public‑interest outcomes across health, education and agriculture, senior policy makers said on Friday.
At the ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’ here, a working report on “Opening Up Computational Resources for New AI Futures,” was launched.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the report and the session saw speakers stressing "demand aggregation, shared infrastructure, skills development and mission-driven governance frameworks" as critical to translate compute access into real-world deployment for startups, researchers and social-sector organisations.
Senior government leaders, philanthropic institutions and global AI experts examined how catalytic funding, new institutional models and South–South cooperation can make advanced compute accessible and affordable for the Global South.
“We are of the collective opinion that AI will transform the world. The defining question is whether this transformation will be equitable, inclusive, and aligned with the public interest,” said Dr Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Martin Tisne, CEO, AI Collaborative, said he was optimistic about computing capacity in two years even in the Global South, but doubtful about the effectiveness in use of data centres.
“Transforming AI into a scalable service for consumers and creators is not just a product challenge; it is a policy challenge,” said Vilas Dhar, President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.
Dhar underscored the need for new institutional mechanisms to connect policy, capital and deployment at scale, noting that accessibility cannot be left to market forces alone.
Shikoh Gitau, CEO, Qhala, emphasised that compute demand must be anchored in clearly defined development outcomes and supported through cross-country cooperation. “When you have clear use cases, then the GPU demand becomes an obvious task, and the governance framework to bridge these gaps also becomes clearer,” Gitau said.
The session outlined a roadmap of catalytic public and philanthropic capital, shared compute infrastructure and interoperable governance frameworks collectively enabling AI to function as a global public good, the statement noted.
At 16, Raul John Aju tells AI conference India must champion innovation
Raul John Aju, India’s youngest AI prodigy, is the cynosure of all eyes at the ongoing AI Impact Summit in Bharat Mandapam and is rightly drawing attention and winning applause from everyone, including the tech gurus and heads of nations from across the globe.
The wonder kid, speaking to IANS, shared his excitement and joy at being invited to the AI Impact event and given a chance to address the gathering. He said he will explain the merits and consequences of Artificial Intelligence and why India should take the lead in innovating and pioneering solutions to the world’s problems.
The AI prodigy, hailed as the ‘AI kid of India’, also got a chance to meet United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and was a speaker at the AI Impact Summit.
“I am still in shock about that. I just managed to say “Hi”, and we had like a few minutes of conversation. I was able to learn a lot from him as well. It was an awesome experience," he said.
The AI prodigy also shared that he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week and that left him “enthused and highly inspired” as his vision and guidance have been instrumental in taking the nation forward, even in the field of technological innovations and deep tech.
The AI prodigy shot into the limelight after the AI tools he built became the national talking point some time ago.
When questioned about his future ambitions, Aju said that he may switch destinations and consider moving abroad to perfect and master his skills, but eventually, it's the motherland that will remain his first love.
The AI kid took the Internet by storm some time ago, due to his cutting-edge innovations.
He also drew applause from Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor, who met him on a Vande Bharat train sometime ago, and praised his daring attempts on the “illuminating” experience.
Tharoor took to X to share the pleasant encounter, stating, "I had the pleasure of meeting Raul John Aju, a 16-year-old tech whiz who is doing incredible work in the field of Artificial Intelligence."
"It was heartening to learn that Raul and his team (including a friend named Ishaan - a name that certainly rings a bell in my household!) are already building systems capable of voice processing in Malayalam, Hindi, and Urdu. Witnessing such ingenuity and drive in our youth gives me immense hope for India’s technological future. Wishing Raul and his team every success. It is young minds like his that will define India's 21st-century growth story," he added.
'AI to create new jobs’: VP Radhakrishnan tells Summit delegates, CEOs
Interacting with a group of CEOs and delegates participating in the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Friday expressed optimism about the future of Artificial Intelligence, noting that the technology will not only transform existing roles but also generate entirely new job opportunities.
The Vice President said that India’s hosting of the AI Summit was a significant initiative envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, positioning the country as a key player in the global AI landscape and as a major driver of transformation in healthcare, education, and good governance.
The delegates shared their perspectives on how Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the global working landscape and unlocking vast new opportunities, said a statement.
They highlighted AI’s transformative potential across key sectors such as healthcare, education, and employment, noting that India is uniquely positioned to benefit from large-scale AI-driven innovation and deployment, it said.
They also expressed appreciation for the India AI Mission on its continued support in building a strong and collaborative AI ecosystem.
The delegates described the summit as spectacular in scale and impact, showcasing a vibrant pool of young talent, innovative ideas, and forward-looking solutions from emerging minds across the country, said the statement.
They also discussed practical and citizen-centric applications, including the use of AI-powered simultaneous language translation in parliamentary proceedings, which can significantly enhance accessibility, efficiency, and inclusiveness in governance.
The Vice President emphasised that AI enhances accuracy, streamlines workflows, and generates widespread societal benefits.
He also highlighted India’s commitment to an inclusive, people-centric AI approach that broadens access and creates opportunities in the nation.
The Vice President affirmed that when India and its people are given the right opportunities and platforms, their potential is limitless, and the coming years hold promise of being a defining and successful one for the nation.
