It is finally day one of the India AI Impact Summit, the event that every tech enthusiast has been waiting for. India is hosting this landmark gathering in New Delhi, and the five day event is a stage where some of the most influential voices in AI are openly laying out their vision for the country. This is also the first global AI meet hosted in the Global South, and instead of product launches or flashy demos, the spotlight is firmly on conversations, policy direction, and long term partnerships.
Thousands of delegates will be attending the event, including top tech bosses from companies like Google, OpenAI, Qualcomm, Adobe, Accenture, Amazon, and Microsoft. In other words, the who’s who of Silicon Valley and beyond are here. And each leader has a story to tell about India and AI. Let’s take a look at what some of these leaders have to say about the summit.
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman made waves even before the summit began. In an op-ed for The Times of India, on Sunday he called India a potential “full-stack AI leader”, saying the country has the talent, scale and optimism needed to lead in AI. Altman also added that OpenAI will expand its presence in India: the firm already opened an office in Delhi and plans to hire hundreds more in the coming year.
‘OpenAI is committed to doing its part to help build AI in India, with India, and for India,’ he wrote. He then added that OpenAI has made tools free to ensure anyone can access them, regardless of income or tech experience. He also introduced a three-step plan for India: improve Access (make AI tools widely available), boost Adoption (use AI in schools, clinics and small businesses), and develop Agency (train people to understand and use AI confidently). Summing up, Altman wrote, “AI will help define India’s future, and India will help define AI’s future – in a way only a democracy can.’
A couple of days back, Google CEO Sundar Pichai met PM Narendra Modi in Paris ahead of the event. And in a social media post, he said it was a pleasure to meet the PM and that they discussed ‘the incredible opportunities AI will bring to India’. Pichai also talked about working closely with India on its digital transformation.
His tweet read, ‘Delighted to meet with PM @narendramodi today while in Paris for the AI Action Summit. We discussed the incredible opportunities AI will bring to India and ways we can work closely together on India’s digital transformation’
Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon sent a video message to the summit’s team, saying that he is excited to be a part of the event. He added “India isn’t just participating in the global AI conversation, it’s helping shape what comes next.”
Amon also explained that Qualcomm’s chips will power the next phase of AI all the way from datacenters to smartphones. He talked about edge AI – running powerful AI models directly on devices – as a way to bring intelligence to Indian factories, hospitals and farms. In the video, Amon also described how future 6G networks and advanced chips will enable “instant, context-aware” experiences for everyone, from students to small businesses.
Adobe’s Chairman and CEO Shantanu Narayen offered a strong endorsement of India’s ambitions. As per an ANI report, he had said that India ‘has always shown what’s possible when imagination meets ambition.’ Narayen also applauded the government’s decision to host the summit, calling it “visionary leadership.” He also said the event itself “reflects our shared commitment to harnessing the transformative power of AI to drive inclusive growth.”
Narayen also spoke about AI in Adobe’s field: creative and design software. He noted that Adobe is working on AI tools to help artists and designers everywhere, and he sees India’s young creative community as a big part of that future.
“It reflects our shared commitment to harnessing the transformative power of AI to drive inclusive growth, unlock human potential, and create a sustainable future. At Adobe, we’re proud to lead the way in developing commercially safe creative AI, supporting the vision of a Viksit Bharat and empowering everyone to create,” he said.
David Zapolsky, Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer at Amazon, described artificial intelligence as a once in a generation opportunity to expand what people and societies can achieve through technology. In an Instagram post shared by the India AI Impact summit’s official handle, he said that the most meaningful innovation comes from building AI systems with safety, fairness and transparency at their core rather than as afterthoughts. Zapolsky also highlighted the need for close collaboration between governments and private companies so that AI development remains accountable and benefits a broad section of society.
According to him, technology delivers its greatest value when it addresses practical, everyday challenges. He pointed to examples such as helping farmers improve crop productivity and enabling small businesses to reach global markets as proof of AI’s real world impact. Zapolsky added that the long term success of artificial intelligence should not be judged only by technical progress, but by how many new opportunities it creates, how effectively it reduces inequality, and the extent to which it improves lives across the world.
Each of these tech leaders came with a message about India’s place in the AI story. The common thread is optimism, about India’s potential and a call for responsibility. To sum up, they are all echoing a very similar idea – India matters for AI, and India must help shape AI.
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