AKP Phnom Penh, September 3, 2026 --
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is swiftly becoming a part of bringing efficiency in governance, in both the private and public sectors for better analytics and targeting. The India AI Impact Summit 2026, held in Delhi between February 16 and 21, marked a pivotal moment in capturing India's AI journey and the road ahead. The first such event hosted in the Global South with approximately six lakh (600,000) in-person attendees, and participation from 100+ countries and 20 international organisations, the summit positioned India at the Centre of the global AI conversation. At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit welcomed some of the most influential figures in global technology, such as OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Google and Alphabet chief Sundar Pichai to flag the potential of AI in bringing out access to all for inclusiveness.
Why India is Fertile Ground?
India, with its digital initiatives, is primed for AI-based analytics that could enable better targeting for welfare programmes and assistance. For example, banking in the country has been modified for digital payments. All utilities are now digital, creating a huge database. In the private sector, e-commerce, fintech operations and gaming need the fastest analysis of data for better informed decision making. India, with a digitized database and AI skill penetration, which ranks among the top countries globally. As per the Stanford AI Index Report 2025, India has great potential for usage of AI across sectors, especially India leads the world in talent acquisition sector by using AI with the annual hiring rate of 33%.
As a strategy, India hosted the AI summit 2026 to bring into focus the country's efforts in becoming the computing pillar in terms of GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) production. The summit demonstrated how AI talent in the country has already taken baby steps by developing multiple Indian languages AI tools. The need of the hour is to have affordable and accessible AI modules for inclusive usage. The spread is targeted to move to “Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India”. These efforts, adaptation and initiatives have tremendous potential by launching fellowship programmes, AI usage in healthcare, agriculture, education and in governance and businesses.
At the summit, India showcased its potential to lead in the global AI landscape, leveraging a skilled and efficient workforce. By prioritizing accessible solutions, such as open-source tools and user-friendly applications, the country aims to bridge the digital divide both internationally and within its own borders. India's focus on efficient manufacturing, workforce training, social welfare targeting and a robust financial system positions it to harness AI's full potential, drive inclusive growth and strengthen governance.

Source: Embassy of India in Cambodia