On Wednesday, Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that educational institutions across the country will be equipped with AI technology-based devices to help students create solutions and gain hands-on experience with emerging technologies.
Speaking to YourStory Founder Shradha Sharma on the sidelines of the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, Vaishnaw elaborated on the opportunities, investments, and innovation momentum expected from the global gathering.
The AI Impact Summit, regarded as one of the world's major forums on artificial intelligence, is hosting extensive deliberations on ethical AI, regulatory frameworks, and the role of advanced technologies in reshaping industries and public services.
The five-day summit has drawn participation from more than 110 countries and 30 international organizations, including about 20 heads of state or government and nearly 45 ministers, making it one of the largest gatherings focused on AI governance and cooperation.
Reflecting on India's progress in the sector, Vaishnaw said: "The country is making very rapid progress in the entire AI and five layers of this field. We have seen significant interest from investors, venture capitalists, and young people who are enthusiastic and positive about using this new technology."
He noted that several large-scale solutions have emerged during the summit.
"I'm very happy that India will be bringing the next healthcare model and the next agricultural productivity model, which will certainly contribute to the world," he said.
Highlighting the scale of investment commitments, the Minister said the summit has catalyzed investments of close to $200 billion in the infrastructure layer.
In addition, around $17 billion has been committed in the deep-tech and application layers, where, he said, venture capital firms are showing keen interest.
"So, the world has a lot of confidence in India's ability to produce AI-based solutions, provide models, bring this next level of innovation, and create solutions that are at a population scale," Vaishnaw said.
Addressing young developers and entrepreneurs, he emphasized the need to prepare the education ecosystem for what he described as the fifth industrial revolution.
"The talent pipeline is going to increase even further. We would like our schools and colleges to be prepared for this new industrial revolution, the fifth industrial revolution," he said.
Vaishnaw added that academic curricula are being revised and will be rolled out to institutions soon after the summit concludes. "We will be working on the next version of the AI mission, where we will be able to provide AI solutions and AI technology-based devices, which can then be used by the students to create solutions and learn the technology, and gain experience with it. AI adoption will be a major thing in our country," he said.
Asked about government support for startups operating across the AI spectrum, the Union Minister assured continued support.
"A lot of support. And as I said, close to $17 billion in funding has been committed by some of the very good, credible venture capital firms. We will be supporting the startups in this journey," he said.
He pointed out that India has emerged as one of the top three startup ecosystems globally.
"As you know, our Honorable Prime Minister has created the country as one of the top three startup ecosystems in the world. We now have more than 2 lakh startups, which were only around 400 or 500 just a decade ago. The world recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit of our people. So, we will be supporting our startups in a big way," he said.
Expressing optimism about the semiconductor sector, Vaishnaw said: "I believe that in semiconductors, we will have around 50 deep tech startups emerging in the next few years. This will happen in our country. We have a lot of talent and entrepreneurial energy."
He further indicated that commercial production in the semiconductor space is imminent.
"On semiconductors, we will soon have commercial production from one of the 10 units. Stay tuned for the next announcement when this commercial production will start," he added.
The AI Impact Summit has brought together global leaders, policymakers, and technology experts to discuss the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in driving economic growth, improving governance, and accelerating social development.
The event seeks to align global AI initiatives with India's civilisational ethos of "Welfare for all, Happiness for all" while promoting the broader principle of AI for Humanity.
The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 is the fourth edition in the series, following previous meetings held in the United Kingdom in 2023, South Korea in 2024, and France in 2025.
The platform enables leaders to examine the ethical, economic, and social implications of artificial intelligence while strengthening partnerships across digital technology, trade, culture, tourism, and maritime cooperation.
