The AI Impact Summit, organised in India from February 16-20, is an ambitious government initiative that can help establish India as a leader in the global AI landscape. The first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, with its scale and prestige, allows India to advance the argument that the country is ready to play a leading role in an AI-driven world. The presence of figures such as Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and global political leaders underscores this aspiration. By seeking to democratise access to AI, the summit positions India and its companies at the heart of future opportunities. With 2.5 lakh registrations so far, the AI Summit offers India a chance to shape the global conversation on responsible artificial intelligence. With Stanford University ranking India third in AI competitiveness, the country is no longer a bystander but a serious contender. However, leadership will not come from scale alone, but from demonstrating that India’s technological ambition matches public purpose.
India’s work in building large digital systems for public use provides a strong, trustworthy foundation. Systems such as Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface, and India Stack have already shown how well-designed platforms can simplify everyday life for a billion-plus people. They expanded financial inclusion, improved service delivery, and reduced leakages. At the summit, India can argue that AI should be the next layer in this system, helping to deliver farming advice, health checks, transport, and public services to people on a large scale. If AI systems can operate reliably across India’s linguistic, economic, and geographic diversity, they can work anywhere.
To make this vision practical, India must commit to serious investment in computing infrastructure, secure data frameworks, and open innovation ecosystems that allow start-ups and small enterprises to participate. The labour market transition must also be addressed honestly. Large-scale skilling programmes, partnerships between industry and universities, and continuous reskilling for workers in factories, farms, and small towns are essential if AI-led growth is to remain inclusive. Finally, India can lead the safety debate by rejecting the false idea that it must choose between moving fast and innovating, or putting strong safeguards in place. Clear research protocols, AI regulation and privacy protection under digital data laws, and open audits can prove that responsibility supports, rather than slows, innovation.