Rishi Sunak, the former Prime Minister of the UK, turned heads at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 by contrasting India’s buoyant AI outlook with the West’s cautious stance. Addressing the gathering in New Delhi, he stressed proactive governance to synchronize these perspectives.
In dialogue with Alexander Wang of Meta, Sunak remarked on the worldwide variance: ‘Countries like India show boundless optimism, whereas in the West, anxiety prevails.’ He highlighted India’s digital strengths and the colossal scale of recent AI funding—20 times the Manhattan Project’s expenditure from top firms this year.
Wang celebrated India’s ascent, pointing out its lead in consumer AI startups over the US and the dawn of a fresh technological era. ‘This is a thrilling period with real developmental speed,’ he said, viewing India as an exemplary player globally.
Spanning February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, the summit fosters dialogue among policymakers, tycoons, scholars, pioneers, and activists worldwide. Sunak’s call to action resonates as AI accelerates, pushing for policies that convert Western worries into opportunities.
Ultimately, this event positions India as a vanguard, inspiring a unified global approach to harness AI’s power responsibly and equitably.