One of the biggest highlights of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 is the participation from Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who joins alongside other tech leaders to discuss the impact of AI on the Global South. Pichai was eager to express his delight at returning to India as he arrived in New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, with a cheerful post on X (formerly Twitter) that quickly went viral.
In his post, Pichai wrote, “Nice to be back in India for the AI Impact Summit — a very warm welcome as always and the papers looked great too :)” The message was accompanied by a photo, showing leading Indian newspapers like The Indian Express and TOI highlighting the summit and his visit. The post reflects the enthusiastic reception Pichai received upon landing in Delhi, highlighting India’s growing stature as a global AI hub.
Sundar Pichai meets PM Modi
Shortly after his arrival, Pichai held a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit. The discussion focused on accelerating AI adoption in India, strengthening tech collaboration, and harnessing artificial intelligence for inclusive growth.
According to media reports, Modi highlighted India’s ambitious vision for AI under the theme ‘welfare for all, happiness for all’. The Prime Minister also pointed to the enormous potential of the country’s IT sector, which could scale to $400 billion by 2030 through AI-enabled services and innovation.
The meeting at Hyderabad House signals deepening ties between the Indian government and global tech giants as India pushes forward with its IndiaAI Mission.
Pichai to deliver keynote at Summit finale
Sundar Pichai is in India to participate in the five-day summit (February 16–20) at Bharat Mandapam, where he is scheduled to deliver the keynote address on February 20. The event has drawn global AI leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss responsible AI governance, technological breakthroughs, and inclusive development.
His visit and the high-profile meeting come at a time when India is positioning itself as a key player in the global AI ecosystem. Google has lately been doubling its focus on India, with a previous announcement of establishing a data center in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam and doubling down on AI projects in India.