A. Issue in Brief
- AI Impact Summit 2026 hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam (Feb 16–20) — first time the global AI summit is hosted in a Global South country, signalling India’s growing AI diplomacy role.
- Participation from ~100 countries, 20+ heads of state/government, and global tech CEOs like Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis, showing high geopolitical-tech convergence.
- Event includes India AI Impact Expo with 300+ exhibitions, 3,000+ speakers, and expected 2.5 lakh visitors, making it one of the largest AI gatherings globally.
- India positions summit around “human-centric AI” and equitable access rather than heavy regulation-first models.
Relevance
- GS-II (International Relations)
- Tech diplomacy
- Global governance of emerging tech
- India as Global South voice
- GS-III (Science & Tech)
- AI ecosystem, compute infrastructure
- DPI model and AI applications
B. Static Background
Global AI Governance Context
- Previous AI summits hosted by:
- UK (Bletchley Park, 2023)
- South Korea
- France
- Global debate split between:
- EU-style regulation-first approach (AI Act)
- U.S.-style innovation-led governance
- China’s state-driven AI model
- India advocates inclusive AI governance for Global South, aligned with its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) diplomacy.
India’s AI Ecosystem
- India among top 5 AI talent pools globally (Stanford AI Index, recent editions).
- MeitY-backed IndiaAI Mission (~₹10,000+ crore outlay approved in 2024) focuses on:
- Compute infrastructure
- Datasets
- Startups
- Skilling
- India has 100,000+ AI professionals and one of the world’s largest startup ecosystems.
C. Key Dimensions
1) Geopolitical Significance
- AI seen as strategic technology shaping economic and military power.
- Hosting summit boosts India’s soft power similar to:
- G20 Presidency 2023
- Voice of Global South Summits
- Engagement from Brazil, France, UAE, African and Latin American states indicates South–South tech diplomacy.
2) Economic & Innovation Impact
- Global AI market projected to reach:
- $1–1.5 trillion by 2030 (PwC/McKinsey estimates).
- AI could add ~$500 billion to India’s GDP by 2025–30 period (industry estimates).
- AI-driven productivity gains expected in:
- Health
- Agriculture
- Education
- Governance
3) Human-Centric AI Approach
- Focus on People, Planet, Progress:
- AI for climate modelling
- Smart agriculture
- Public service delivery
- Aligns with India’s DPI model:
- Aadhaar
- UPI
- CoWIN
4) Tech Diplomacy & Standards
- Early participation in AI standards can prevent rule-setting dominance by developed nations.
- Opportunity to shape global norms on ethics, data governance, and access to compute.
D. Critical Analysis
Opportunities
- Positions India as bridge between tech powers and developing world.
- Boosts domestic AI startup visibility and investment.
- Enhances India’s claim as trusted tech partner.
Concerns / Risks
- Compute gap:
- Advanced AI requires high-end GPUs; global supply concentrated in few firms.
- Data governance:
- Balancing innovation with privacy under DPDP Act 2023.
- Skill gap:
- Large talent pool but uneven advanced research capacity.
- Ethical debates and reputational risks around controversial attendees can politicise events.
E. Way Forward
- Invest in national AI compute infrastructure and semiconductor ecosystem.
- Promote open datasets for public-good AI.
- Strengthen AI skilling under Skill India Digital.
- Develop balanced AI regulation ensuring safety without stifling startups.
- Lead Global South AI coalition for equitable access.
F. Exam Orientation
Prelims Pointers
- IndiaAI Mission – MeitY initiative.
- EU AI Act = regulation-first model.
- AI summits earlier in UK, Korea, France.
- DPI model = Aadhaar, UPI, CoWIN.
Mains Practice Question (15M)
- “AI governance is emerging as a key arena of global power politics.” Discuss India’s role in shaping inclusive and human-centric AI governance.
