From robots in healthcare to drones scanning crops, it's India story at work

NEW DELHI: The AI Impact Summit 2026 marks a shift in India's AI story - from cloud-heavy, software-led narratives to physical, deployable AI embedded in machines, devices and infrastructure.Spread across 70,000 square metres at Bharat Mandapam at the national capital, the summit is less about future promises and more about AI already at work: robots in healthcare and factories, drones in farms, and wearables in public services.Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the five-day summit, from Feb 16 to 20, brings together over 300 curated pavilions and over 600 startups cutting across sectors.

The emphasis throughout the exhibition floor is on deployment rather than demos. Autonomous drones scan crops for disease, wearable devices assist frontline health workers, industrial robots demonstrate predictive maintenance, and AI-powered tools translate court judgments and govt documents into Indian languages.Global technology giants have mounted some of the largest and most crowded showcases. Google's pavilion highlights applications ranging from climate modelling and extreme weather prediction to language tools and its AI cricket coach, tailored for Indian users.

Microsoft is showcasing secure AI platforms for governance, public services and enterprise adoption, while Nvidia has drawn steady crowds with live demonstrations of GPU-powered robotics, real-time simulations and industrial AI systems, underlining the growing importance of high-performance computing.

Open AI, Qualcomm, Amazon Web Services, and Schneider Electric are also present, positioning their platforms for large, diverse markets such as India, with a sharp focus on scale, cost efficiency and compliance.Equally prominent is the presence of India's own tech majors. Tata Group's showcase spans manufacturing, mobility and digital public infrastructure, demonstrating how AI is being integrated into traditional industries. HCL Tech has focused on enterprise AI, secure data systems and responsible deployment frameworks, while Reliance Industries is highlighting applications in telecom, retail and cloud infrastructure.The summit's international character is reinforced by country pavilions from Japan, the UK, and Germany, hosting live demonstrations and bilateral discussions. Senior members of global technology firms are attending closed door sessions and public interactions, using the platform to explore partnerships and policy alignment in one of the world's fastest-growing AI markets.Despite the heavy presence of big tech, the energy on the floor is driven just as much by startups, students and young innovators.

Youth zones are packed with school and college teams presenting solutions for precision farming, healthcare diagnostics, climate resilience and education, many designed to work offline or in regional languages. "Cost is our biggest constraint," said Shashwat Ranjan, a computer science student developing an AI-based mental health tool.

"Running models for college projects is expensive. Being here helps us understand how to build affordable systems that can actually scale."Several pavilions highlight indigenous foundation models trained on Indian datasets and designed to support all 22 official languages, backed by domestic compute infrastructure and governed by local data protection frameworks. Officials say the aim is to ensure AI systems reflect Indian realities and remain accessible to startups, researchers and public institutions.