Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw talked about a few things including the AI roadmap at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. During his speech, he touched upon different sectors and areas including massive planned investments, the strength of India’s sovereign AI models, and the urgent need to address rising concerns around deepfakes and child safety online. Here are the key highlights from his speech.
1. Speaking at the summit, Vaishnaw stated that the level of excitement among young innovators and investors was unmatched. He stated that infrastructure providers and investors are preparing commitments totalling nearly $200 billion, which are expected to take shape over the next few years. He added that venture capital firms are showing a strong interest in investing in Indian startups, particularly those developing AI-driven applications and deep-tech solutions.
2. The minister also focused on the effectiveness of India’s homegrown AI systems. According to him, sovereign AI models developed in the country have been compared to leading global frontier models and have produced competitive results. He described it as a significant milestone for Indian engineers and researchers working on developing an independent AI stack.
3. Vaishnaw issued a cautionary note about the growing misuse of artificial intelligence. He stated that deepfakes are emerging as a serious threat and advocated for stronger regulatory measures to protect citizens, particularly children. The government, he confirmed, has begun discussions with industry stakeholders to investigate additional safeguards beyond the current legal framework.
4. In a forward-thinking announcement, the minister introduced the concept of AI ka UPI, a unified, trusted AI ecosystem that serves as a common and secure infrastructure layer. He compared the platform to India’s digital payments revolution, saying it would enable companies and developers to create scalable AI solutions on a common national backbone.
5. Additionally, discussions are being held with major streaming and social media platforms to look at age-based access controls and other safeguards. Vaishnaw also stressed that the digital platforms like X, Meta and others in India must follow the country’s constitutional and legal requirements
6. Vaishnaw also acknowledged the chaos and problems faced by the attendees on the first day of the summit and apologised for any inconvenience. While addressing the media, he described the event as the world’s largest AI gathering, stating that the overwhelming response had resulted in initial challenges. He also mentioned that the government takes feedback seriously and will offer a more seamless experience for the participants.
7. He also stated that India is planning to substantially boost its AI computing muscle by adding another 20,000 GPUs, bringing the country’s total capacity to more than 58,000 GPUs. The expansion is part of the government’s IndiaAI Mission, which aims to strengthen domestic AI infrastructure. Currently, more than 38,000 high-end GPUs have been onboarded and are available at a subsidised rate of approximately Rs 65 per hour, which is nearly one-third of what similar capacity costs globally.