Amid growing global interest in artificial intelligence, India’s technology ecosystem is gaining strong momentum as policymakers and industry leaders gather to shape the country’s next phase of digital growth. The India AI Impact Summit 2026, which began on February 16, entered its 2nd day on Tuesday with discussions focused on AI adoption and deep tech expansion.
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said that India is expected to receive more than $200 billion (about Rs. 18,14,000 crore) in investments in artificial intelligence and deep tech over the next 2 years. According to a news agency report, the minister highlighted interest coming from 2 major areas — direct AI investments and increased venture capital funding into India’s deep tech ecosystem.
The government has been strengthening Digital Public Infrastructure under the Digital India mission, including platforms such as UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and ONDC. These initiatives have helped build a strong technology framework that, according to the minister, is expected to accelerate AI adoption across sectors.
He also noted that global technology leaders and CEOs have shown “keen interest” in investing in India, particularly in startups and infrastructure linked to deep technology innovation.
This rising interest builds on earlier commitments by global companies looking to tap into India’s large internet user base, launch affordable services, establish local operations, and build data centres across the country.
Recently, Anthropic opened its first India office in Bengaluru and announced hiring plans, stating that India represents the 2nd-largest user base for its AI chatbot Claude. Meanwhile, OpenAI has started recruitment ahead of opening its first office in New Delhi and plans to build data centres in the country.
In December 2025, Microsoft also announced an investment of about $17.5 billion (roughly Rs. 1.57 lakh crore) in it over the next 4 years, further reinforcing confidence in the country’s AI growth story.
The discussions at the summit underline it’s ambition to position itself as a major global hub for artificial intelligence and deep technology innovation.
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