New Delhi: The AI Impact Summit, to be hosted by India from February 16 to 20, is being seen as a landmark event for investment, technological partnerships and global policy alignment. The government expects the conference to pave the way for nearly $100 billion (around ₹8.3 lakh crore) in investment proposals. Organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the summit will bring together global technology leaders, industrialists, researchers and policy experts.
The event will see participation from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Google DeepMind chief and Nobel laureate Demis Hassabis, Meta’s Chief AI Officer Alexander Wang and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. From India Inc., leading corporate figures including Mukesh Ambani, N. Chandrasekaran and Sunil Mittal are expected to attend.
Largest AI platform in the developing world
According to government estimates, this will be the biggest AI-focused gathering ever hosted by a developing country. Representatives from more than 100 nations will deliberate on global AI policy, data governance, ethics, safety frameworks and regulatory architecture.
The summit’s theme, “AI for the greater good of all,” underscores the objective of making artificial intelligence beneficial for citizens rather than limiting its gains to corporations. The event is structured around three pillars — People, Planet and Progress — with an emphasis on inclusive and sustainable technological development.
FCRF’s Security Lens: AI for Secure India
Amid the high-level discourse on compute and governance, cybersecurity remains a central concern — and it is here that the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF) emerges prominently as a Knowledge Partner.
FCRF will host a dedicated session titled: “AI for Secure India: Combating AI-Enabled Cybercrime, Deepfakes, Darkweb Threats and Data Breaches.”
Date: 17 February 2026
Time: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Venue: Bharat Mandapam, L1 Meeting Room No. 15
The session will be moderated by Prof. Triveni Singh, former IPS officer and Chief Mentor at FCRF, and will bring together a panel of legal, industry and cybersecurity experts, including:
- Rakesh Maheshwari, Cyber Law & Data Governance Expert
- Senior Advocate Vivek Sood, Supreme Court of India
- Tarun Wig, Co-Founder & CEO, Innefu Labs
- Dr. Sapna Bansal, Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi
- Navneethan M., Senior Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer
The focus is unambiguous: artificial intelligence has become both a catalyst for economic acceleration and a multiplier of cyber risk. From AI-generated deepfakes and automated phishing ecosystems to dark web marketplaces leveraging machine learning, the threat landscape has grown more algorithmic and less predictable.
By placing this session within the summit’s core programming, FCRF reinforces a central message — that security must be embedded into AI systems from inception, not retrofitted after disruption.
Interested participants can register for the FCRF session through the following link: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/registration
Focus on real-world applications
Dedicated sessions will highlight practical deployment of AI across key sectors:
- Healthcare: early disease detection, AI-driven diagnostics and telemedicine
- Agriculture: crop forecasting, water management and smart supply chains
- Governance: automation of public services, transparency and improved delivery
- Skilling: AI training for youth and job creation
Policy experts believe India is positioning AI as an inclusive technology model that could be replicated across the Global South.
Investment, data centres and semiconductors in spotlight
The summit is expected to witness multiple bilateral and multilateral agreements, joint research collaborations and investment announcements in AI startups. Key focus areas include data centres, chip design, cloud infrastructure and digital public infrastructure. Efforts to attract global participation in domestic manufacturing and the semiconductor value chain will also be highlighted.
Rapidly expanding AI market
India’s AI market is projected to grow at a fast pace. Estimates suggest the domestic AI sector could reach $17 billion by 2027, more than tripling from 2024 levels, and expand further to $131 billion by 2032. Automation, data analytics and AI-driven services are expected to form a significant share of the economy over the next decade.
Three strategic gains for India
Policy analysts identify three major advantages from the summit:
- Investment inflows: establishment of R&D and manufacturing facilities
- Skilling economy: new opportunities for AI-trained youth
- Global leadership: a stronger role in AI ethics and inclusive policy frameworks
The government’s broader objective is to position India not merely as a consumer of AI, but as a developer and exporter of advanced AI solutions.
If the proposed investments and partnerships materialise, the summit could significantly accelerate India’s digital economy and mark a decisive step towards establishing the country as a global AI hub.
