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BUSINESS & TRADE DECEMBER 19, 2025 | The Indian Eye 30

India positions itself as AI bridge for

the Global South ahead of 2026 summit

As India prepares to host the AI Impact Summit in 2026, policymakers, global

institutions and industry leaders see the country emerging as a pragmatic AI hub for the

Global South—focused less on futuristic fears and more on real-world impact

OUR BUREAU

New Delhi
ith India set to host the AI Impact Sum-
mit in 2026, global attention is increasing-
Wly turning to how the country is shaping
an alternative vision for artificial intelligence—one
rooted in adoption, inclusion and public benefit
rather than fear-driven regulation.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Global Tech-
nology Summit’s Innovation Dialogue 2025, UN-
DP’s Director of AI Hub and Head of Digital & AI
Programmes, Keyzom Ngodup Massally, described
India as uniquely positioned to test, pilot and scale
AI solutions relevant to developing economies.
Hosting the first global AI summit in the Global
South, she said, will itself mark a departure from
technology discussions dominated by the Global
North.
“There’s a strong focus on innovation, adoption
and solving challenges that people and our planet
face,” Massally said. “India’s diversity—linguistic,
cultural and geographical—makes it a fertile ground
to test and scale solutions that can then travel globally.”
A key pillar of India’s growing AI influence lies
in its digital public infrastructure. Platforms such as
UPI and initiatives like Bhashini and AI for Bharat
are increasingly cited as global models for how tech- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks during the inaugural session of the ninth edition of the Global Technology Summit
nology can be deployed at scale while remaining
people-centric. According to Massally, the lesson in New Delhi. Rudra Chaudhuri, Director of Carnegie India also seen (ANI file photo)
is not technological sophistication alone, but intent.
“It’s not about technology for its own sake. It’s about a pro-innovation regulatory stance, allowing India’s growing role as a convenor across policy,
making technology work in service of people,” she AI use cases to mature before imposing tight- academia and industry. David Joseph Menezes
said, adding that this philosophy aligns closely with er controls. At the same time, he highlighted of People+AI stressed that reliability is not theo-
UNDP’s broader human development goals. parallel progress in semiconductors, with more retical in emerging markets. “If a farmer receives
India’s approach is also shaping conversations than 10 projects underway across fabrication, as- wrong advice and acts on it, it could mean crop fail-
on governance and ethics. Rather than viewing reg- sembly and testing—countering earlier skep- ure for a year,” he said.
ulation as a one-time exercise, Massally emphasized ticism about India’s manufacturing ambitions. From an industry perspective, AmCham India
that India is pushing a dynamic, contextual frame- Experts at the summit also highlighted India’s Director Pranav Mishra highlighted India’s open
work. “Policies must evolve constantly to help solu- strategic position between competing AI models. regulatory environment as a major advantage for
tions that improve a farmer’s life or a woman’s life CK Cheruvettolil of DGA–Albright Stonebridge US–India AI cooperation. He noted that India’s
to scale,” she said, calling for inclusive governance Group described India as a “middle way” between AI infrastructure is currently powered largely by
involving governments, civil society, communities US-led frontier model development and China’s American technology firms, with compute demand
and the private sector. rapid expansion of open-source AI. “India is very expected to surge as data centers expand. “The es-
This pragmatic focus was echoed by Rudra well positioned to bring AI to the masses and to be sence of the AI Impact Summit is in the name—the
Chaudhuri, Director of Carnegie India, who con- a leader for the Global South,” he said, particularly impact,” Mishra said. “AI’s effect across sectors,
trasted India’s AI discourse with that of major pow- as access to AI compute remains uneven globally. states and languages will be on full display.”
ers. “While discussions in the US and China often Concerns around cultural relevance and safe- As preparations for the 2026 summit gather
revolve around superintelligence, India’s focus is on ty were also central to discussions. UC Berkeley pace, India is increasingly positioning itself not just
AI’s real-world impact today,” he said, pointing to researcher Rodolfo Corona warned that bench- as an AI market, but as a laboratory for inclusive
AI-driven agricultural advisories already reaching marks and evaluation models designed in the innovation—one that could help define how arti-
over 16 million farmers across nearly 20 languages. Global North often fail in southern contexts. “In- ficial intelligence serves the Global South in the
Chaudhuri noted that India has adopted volving regional actors is essential,” he said, noting decades ahead.

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