Marking a milestone, the AI Impact Summit 2026 commenced in New Delhi on Monday, convening global experts to harness AI for good. Debjani Ghosh, Chief Architect at Niti Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub, conveyed to IANS her excitement over India spearheading the first Global South-centric AI summit, zeroed in on creating real-world effects.
Infrastructure builds the foundation, but Ghosh insists AI must propel profound shifts in human lives at scale. Guided by people, planet, and prosperity, the summit broadcasts India’s blueprint for equitable tech deployment.
India’s hallmark? Tech born from the grassroots—DPI to AI—scaling to deliver first to society’s edges, especially women. Encouragement extends to female-led innovation in development and business.
Program Architect Sachi Chopra introduced a robust online repository of 200 AI stories, tailored for leaders to learn from successes: from pain points to proven paths. In Tonk, Rajasthan, Dr. Soumya Jha’s ‘Pahel’ AI tool personalized math learning, catapulting Class 10 pass rates up almost 100% in six weeks.
Each case study offers a roadmap: challenges, solutions, pilots, budgets, support frameworks, and outcomes for seamless scaling. ‘Build Your Own’ unlocks customization with resource lists—funds, allies, regulations. A smart AI companion curates sector-wise insights for practical application in areas like crops and classrooms.
Anna Roy of WEP outlined efforts to solidify India’s AI leadership globally through integrated programs. Challenges ‘AI for All’, ‘Young AI’, and ‘AI by Her’ seek diverse talent. From 500 WEP submissions, 63 made the cut; 30 winners ahead, elite 10 bagging Rs 25 lakh under India AI Mission, topped by sponsor perks from Schneider, LinkedIn et al.
Grassroots workshops and a pending new challenge accelerate AI integration, embodying the summit’s ethos: technology thrives when it transforms.