India - AI Impact Summit 2026
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a critical partner in realizing the vision of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 by bridging the gap between high-level policy and industrial execution. Central to this mission is the Sutra-Chakra framework: the three Sutras (People, Planet, and Progress) serve as the guiding moral compass, while the seven Chakras (working groups such as Human Capital, Safe & Trusted AI, and Democratizing AI Resources) act as the operational engines for global cooperation.
CII fulfils this vision by mobilizing the private sector to translate these Sanskrit-inspired principles into "demonstrable impact." Through its specialized sessions and the National AI Forum, CII actively addresses the "Human Capital" Chakra by spearheading large-scale upskilling initiatives and supports the "Progress" Sutra by integrating AI into MSMEs and core sectors like healthcare and manufacturing.
On 5th Feb 2026, AI for All : Driving Equitable Growth and Societal Good pre‑summit (India AI Impact Summit 2026) conference, organized by CII in collaboration with MeitY and the IndiaAI Mission, set the stage for the upcoming India–AI Impact Summit 2026.
Speakers from government, industry, and NITI Aayog underscored the need for rapid scaling of AI adoption and large‑scale skilling to unlock India’s full potential. Initiatives like Dx‑EDGE and the CII–HP Centre for AI were showcased for strengthening MSME competitiveness and building a job‑ready workforce, reinforcing India’s position as a leader in inclusive, technology‑driven growth.
The conference further highlighted India’s rising global stature in AI talent and innovation, with policymakers noting that the 21st century marks India’s leadership era in intelligence and digital advancement. With strong policy direction, regulatory clarity, and targeted investments in AI infrastructure, India is rapidly evolving from a consumer of global technologies to a creator of sovereign, ethical, and inclusive AI systems.
(Left to Right); Mr Sujith Haridas, Deputy Director General, Ms Ipsita Dasgupta ,Chairperson, CII – HP Centre for AI, CII Western Region Sub- committee on Artificial Intelligence & Senior Vice President & Managing Director, HP, Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil, Secretary, Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, Mrs. Anjali Singh ,Chairperson CII Northen Region & Executive Chairperson, Anand Group , Shri Sudeep Shrivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, Mr Prateek Garg, Chairman, CII Regional Committee (NR) on Start-ups & Managing Director, Progressive Infotech. Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary (MeitY) and CEO, IndiaAI Mission, India AI Impact Summit 2026.
Democratizing AI Resources for Economic Growth and Social Good
The two-day conference on “Democratizing AI Resources for Economic Growth and Social Good” on 16th & 17th February, explored how democratizing access to AI resources could drive economic growth and social good, fostering focused discussions across themes such as AI for Manufacturing, Start-ups, Cloud, Fintech, Gaming, Co-Creating MedTech frontiers, Cyber Security, Defence and democratizing healthcare through consumer devices. As a result, these discussions led to the development of actionable strategies and partnerships aimed at accelerating AI-driven innovation and inclusion across multiple sectors.
Mr. Puneet Chandok, Chairman of the CII National Forum on AI and President of Microsoft India & South Asia, declared that India has reached a historic inflection point to become an "AI-First Nation" for a billion citizens At the AI Impact Summit 2026, Highlighting that 92% of Indian knowledge workers are already utilizing AI and 59% of business leaders are deploying AI agents, Chandok outlined a transition toward an "Outcome Economy" where traditional "inefficiency" is replaced by AI-integrated operating systems and "AI Factories" built into every enterprise.
Key takeaways from various sessions
- Foster structured adoption of AI solutions with clearly defined use cases, measurable outcomes, and responsible governance practices, including transparency and explainability.
- Promote harmonized data governance, interoperability, and multi-cloud orchestration frameworks to enable seamless integration and deployment across sectors.
- Accelerate operational deployment of predictive analytics and AI insights into decision-making workflows, supporting proactive risk management.
- Support hybrid, edge, and on-premises architectures aligned with operational needs and governance standards.
- Expand capacity building for AI literacy, interdisciplinary skills, and inclusive adoption, particularly for MSMEs and smaller enterprises.
(Left to Right); Ms. Kavita Nair, Senior Director, CII Digital, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Mr Tejpreet S Chopra, Co-Chair, CII National AI Forum, and CEO, Industry.AI, BLP Group, Mr Puneet Chandok, Chairman, CII, National AI Forum, & President Microsoft India, and Asia, Mr Harish Krishnan, Managing Director, Cisco Systems India, Mr Prateek Garg, Chairman, CII Regional Committee on Startups for Northern Region & Founder & Managing Director, Progressive Infotech.
Preparing for the Future : AI-Driven Strategies for Workforce and Economic Growth
Confederation of Indian Industry, in partnership with the India AI Mission and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, organized a session on "Preparing for the Future: AI-Driven Strategies for Workforce and Economic Growth" as part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam. The session focused on examining the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for workforce transformation and economic growth, with particular attention to inclusive adoption, infrastructure readiness, and cross-sector collaboration.
The session highlighted that AI is a transformative force which should be positioned as a tool for human enhancement rather than replacement, with continuous learning as the foundation for workforce resilience. Key priorities include infrastructure readiness, skill development, and ethical governance mutually reinforcing areas requiring sustained cooperation.
Critical technical outcomes include accelerating workforce upskilling and continuous learning initiatives aligned with AI adoption, promoting affordable AI solutions for small and medium enterprises through shared infrastructure models, and developing hybrid cloud-edge computing frameworks tailored to sector-specific needs such as manufacturing and healthcare.
Additionally, fostering cross-border digital cooperation, ensuring inclusive access to compute resources, and advancing responsible AI deployment with human oversight are essential for sustainable innovation. Strengthening coordination between education and industry to align skills with emerging AI roles and facilitating knowledge sharing across sectors will further support scalable, ethical, and inclusive AI-driven growth.
The session was a landmark event marked by vigorous deliberations and the active participation of senior government officials, tech pioneers, diplomats and distinguished thought leaders.
(Left to Right) : Mr. Vinod Javur, CEO, Nxtra Airtel DCs; Dr. Mahendra Carpen, Presidential Adviser- Guyana; Mr. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community, ASEAN Secretariat, Indonesia; Mr. Tejpreet S Chopra, Co-Chair, CII National AI Forum and CEO, Industry.AI, BLP Group; Dr. Nihar Shah, Presidential Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), USA and Mr. Narendra Sen, Founder, NeevCloud and Managing Director, RackBank
