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Google CEO Sundar Pichai has drawn parallels betwixt India’s existent AI gyration and the Digital India question of a decennary ago, calling it a “transformational moment” that could reshape the state for years to come.
Speaking astatine an exclusive media reception connected Wednesday (February 18) – 2 days up of his keynote astatine the India AI Impact Summit 2026 – Pichai reflected connected however acold the state has travel — and wherever it is headed next.“It’s a transformational moment. I'm a spot nostalgic, reflecting connected possibly a decennary ago. Coming to India and seeing the integer India modulation and the akin excitement. And it’s been phenomenal to really spot a decennary of progress.
In immoderate ways, this feels similar the opening of a decennary agelong displacement to AI,” Pichai said astatine the gathering.
India positioned to pb connected each fronts: Sundar Pichai
When asked whether India’s AI occurrence would travel from being a idiosyncratic base, a builder of technology, oregon a regularisation shaper successful planetary AI governance, Pichai’s effect was unequivocal: India tin bash each three.“I question to galore countries astir the world, and I bash deliberation India is uniquely positioned successful this moment. There's a accidental to play a large relation successful each three.
I deliberation of Google arsenic a full-stack company, and India is going to beryllium a full-stack subordinate successful AI,” helium said.Pichai emphasised that occurrence successful AI isn't conscionable astir 1 magnitude and it requires a broad approach. “What's important is to beryllium successful a presumption to bash that, and that's what this AI Summit is about. You person to marque definite you're investing successful each the foundational things you request — successful the research, successful knowledge, and successful the institutions you person here,” helium explained.But for Pichai, infrastructure and probe are lone portion of the equation. The existent measurement of occurrence volition beryllium whether AI reaches mean Indians successful their regular lives.“The authorities has a relation successful diffusing AI crossed the state and making definite it's reaching people. That means you're adopting it successful each the centers and successful a mode that the advancement is touching the mean idiosyncratic connected a day-to-day ground — beryllium it a farmer, beryllium it a student, beryllium it a doc successful the healthcare sector,” helium said.
Pichai said that infrastructure and investments arsenic grounds that India is laying the close instauration and that the state “in a bully presumption to get there.
”As the India AI Impact Summit 2026 gets underway, Pichai's connection is clear: Google is simply a full-stack institution and “India is going to beryllium a afloat stack subordinate successful AI.”
Sundar Pichai meets PM Narendra Modi
Earlier successful the day, Pichai met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In post, helium said, "Great to conscionable with the Honorable PM @narendramodi this morning." "We discussed however Google is helping with his ngo to infuse AI astatine each levels successful India to amended health, grow entree to accusation successful each languages, enactment startups, agriculture and truthful overmuch more. Thank you Prime Minister for bringing america unneurotic for this unthinkable summit," helium added.
