New Delhi: Industry leaders and technology experts on Friday praised the India AI Impact Summit 2026, describing artificial intelligence (AI) as more than a technological upgrade — calling it a transformational infrastructure shift that will redefine national power and global competitiveness.
The summit, held at Bharat Mandapam, brought together policymakers, global tech firms, researchers and startups, positioning India as a major voice in shaping the global AI agenda.
AI as Infrastructure, Not Just Innovation
Savi Soin, Senior Vice President and President of Qualcomm India, said India’s AI future will depend not only on advanced models but on how effectively intelligence is delivered across industries and public systems at scale.
“Our collaboration with Sarvam reflects Qualcomm Technologies’ long-term commitment to enabling AI for India, combining edge computing, hybrid AI architectures and sovereign design principles so that AI is accessible, secure and impactful,” he said.
High-Performance Compute Key to India’s AI Ambition
Sunil Gupta, Co-Founder, MD and CEO of Yotta Data Services, stressed that India’s AI ambitions require sustained high-performance computing infrastructure.
He highlighted the integration of advanced Blackwell Ultra infrastructure, open models like NVIDIA Nemotron and the broader NVIDIA AI stack to enable Indian developers to build sovereign and globally competitive AI applications.
AI Sovereignty and Strategic Dependency Concerns
Experts warned that in a post-AI world, digital dependency could pose systemic risks if nations rely on AI systems they do not control.
Chocko Valliappa, Founder and Managing Director of Vee Technologies, cautioned that reliance on external AI systems across defence, finance and public infrastructure could create structural vulnerabilities.
“Strategic addiction is subtle, but its consequences are structural,” he said, calling for AI guardrails, liability frameworks and sector-wise displacement mapping to manage workforce transitions.
Need for Workforce Development and Reskilling
Industry leaders emphasised the urgent need for district-level workforce development boards, bringing together industry, academia and civil society to prepare for AI-driven job displacement.
Experts called for a five-year skilling and transition roadmap to ensure employment markets remain resilient in the face of automation and AI adoption.
AI as National Strategy
Participants at the summit agreed that AI is no longer just an innovation driver but a strategic national priority. With a large pool of global AI researchers, founders, chip designers and safety experts of Indian origin, the country is seen as well-positioned to lead.
“AI is not just innovation. It is a national strategy. The countries that think about sovereignty, jobs and energy will shape the next century,” experts noted.
India’s Growing Global AI Influence
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 has drawn wide international participation, reinforcing India’s role in shaping ethical, secure and sovereign AI systems.
As global competition intensifies in artificial intelligence, industry leaders stressed that infrastructure, computing power, policy frameworks and workforce readiness will determine which nations emerge as AI superpowers in the decades ahead.
