New Delhi, February 19, 2026: Day 4 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 brought global attention to Bharat Mandapam as two of the world’s most influential technology leaders — Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman — addressed policymakers, researchers and industry executives on the future of artificial intelligence and its growing footprint in India.
The summit, hosted in the national capital, has emerged as one of the largest AI gatherings in the Global South. Government officials confirmed participation from representatives of more than 100 countries across public and private sectors. The fourth day was widely viewed as the most high-profile, given the presence of top global technology CEOs and senior Indian policymakers.
India’s Expanding Role in Global AI
In his keynote address, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai described India as one of the most important markets for artificial intelligence development and adoption. He highlighted India’s strong developer base, expanding digital infrastructure and young talent pool as key strengths.
Pichai reiterated Google’s continued investment in AI research, cloud infrastructure and digital skilling initiatives in India. He said that building local capacity in AI research and engineering remains central to long-term innovation. While discussions at the summit included academic collaboration and deeper engagement with Indian institutions, no specific new agreements with the Indian Institutes of Technology were formally announced during the public session on Day 4.
Industry observers noted that collaboration between global technology companies and premier Indian institutions such as the IITs has been an ongoing trend in recent years. These partnerships typically focus on research, faculty exchange, AI labs and startup incubation. However, any detailed announcement regarding new OpenAI-IIT partnerships was not officially confirmed in summit briefings on Thursday.
OpenAI Highlights India’s Rapid AI Adoption
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman focused his remarks on India’s fast-growing AI adoption. He recently stated that India has around 100 million weekly active users of ChatGPT, making it one of the company’s largest global user bases. At the summit, Altman emphasized that India’s developer ecosystem and student community are playing a significant role in shaping how AI tools are used in education, startups and enterprise solutions.
Altman said that responsible AI deployment, safety standards and equitable access must guide the next phase of AI expansion. He acknowledged the importance of working with governments, universities and research institutions to ensure that AI systems are developed and used responsibly.
During his address, Altman did not publicly announce specific signed agreements with IIT campuses. Instead, he spoke broadly about strengthening research collaboration and supporting academic communities in India.
Government Push for AI Research and Governance
The summit also featured remarks from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described artificial intelligence as a transformative force for governance, healthcare, agriculture and education. He called for balanced regulation that supports innovation while protecting citizens’ rights.
Government officials reiterated India’s ambition to become a global hub for trusted and inclusive AI. The India AI initiative, launched earlier, aims to support compute infrastructure, research funding and startup development across the country.
Several panel discussions on Day 4 examined academic collaboration, AI safety frameworks and global governance standards. Experts stressed that partnerships between global AI companies and institutions such as IITs could accelerate indigenous research and talent development, provided they are structured transparently and align with national priorities.
Industry and Academic Convergence in Focus
Beyond the keynotes, the summit featured sessions involving technology leaders, startup founders and academic researchers. Discussions centered on scaling AI research within universities, expanding computing access and bridging industry-academia gaps.
Participants underlined that India’s engineering institutions, particularly the IIT network, play a critical role in supplying talent to global AI companies. Strengthening this pipeline through structured research programs and joint labs was described as a strategic priority by multiple speakers.
However, officials clarified that formal announcements regarding new partnership agreements would be communicated through official channels once finalized.
A Defining Moment for India’s AI Ambitions
Day 4 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 underscored India’s rising influence in global AI conversations. With leaders like Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman engaging directly with policymakers and researchers in New Delhi, the summit highlighted India’s importance not just as a technology market, but as a research and innovation hub.
While expectations were high regarding detailed announcements of OpenAI’s new partnerships with IITs, public sessions focused more broadly on collaboration frameworks, talent development and responsible AI growth. Any formal agreements, if concluded, are expected to be detailed through official releases.
As the summit moves toward its conclusion, attention now turns to how discussions translate into actionable outcomes. For India, the event marks another step in positioning itself at the center of the global AI transformation.
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