In a photograph that may well define the geopolitics of artificial intelligence for years to come, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood shoulder to shoulder with the most powerful names in global technology at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Meta Chief AI Officer Alexander Wang, among others were part of the group portrait that sent an unambiguous message to the world - India is no longer a market to be served. It is a power to be reckoned with.
The image, taken at Bharat Mandapam, instantly became the defining visual of the summit - one that drew participation from 118 countries and is being described as both the largest AI gathering in history and the first of its kind hosted in the Global South.
Watch the iconic moment on stage below:
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: 'Dignity as the Default Setting'
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who addressed the summit, distilled the moral stakes of the moment into a single sentence. "The message of this summit is simple," he said. "Real impact means technology that improves lives and protects the planet. So let's build AI for everyone with dignity as the default setting." His words framed the gathering not merely as a celebration of technological prowess but as a test of global conscience — a question of whether AI would deepen existing inequalities or dismantle them.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai: 'We Cannot Allow the Digital Divide to Become an AI Divide'
Sundar Pichai, whose company has had a long and deep relationship with India, delivered one of the summit's most substantive addresses. Calling on governments and corporations alike to treat equitable AI access as a non-negotiable commitment, he said: "We cannot allow the digital divide to become an AI divide. That means investing in compute infrastructure and connectivity."
Pichai announced that Google is expanding its physical infrastructure ties with India in a significant way, building a vast network of subsea fibre optic cables — including four new systems between the US and India as part of the company's newly announced America-India Connect initiative.
On the contentious question of AI's impact on jobs, Pichai urged the world not to succumb to fatalism. "AI will undeniably reshape the workforce, automating some roles, evolving others, and creating entirely new careers," he said. "20 years ago, the concept of a professional YouTube creator didn't exist. Today, there are millions around the world." The implication was clear: the jobs of tomorrow may be unimaginable today, but history suggests they will arrive.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei: 'Unlike Anywhere Else'
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, whose company has emerged as one of the leading voices on AI safety globally, struck a more personal note. "The energy and ambition in this room and across India are incredible," he said. "I've been spending the last few days meeting with Indian builders and enterprises, and the energy to build together here is palpable, unlike anywhere else." The remarks reflected a broader sentiment among global tech leaders at the summit: that India's combination of talent density, consumer scale, and government ambition makes it a uniquely compelling partner in the AI era.
Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran: 'Tata and OpenAI to Build India's First Gigawatt AI Data Centre'
Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran used the summit stage to announce what could prove to be the most consequential industrial commitment of the event. "The Tata Group is establishing India's first large-scale, AI-optimised data centre, purpose-built for next-generation AI training and inference," he said, adding that Tata has partnered with OpenAI to build a facility starting at 100 megawatt capacity with a roadmap to scale to a full gigawatt. "We are adopting AI across the stack, from silicon to systems to AI-ready data centres to applications and AI agents," Chandrasekaran said. "Such a journey will require us to work with world-leading partners in India and across the globe." The partnership with OpenAI signals a new chapter in the globalisation of AI infrastructure — one anchored not in California, but in India.
French President Emmanuel Macron: 'From Mumbai's Streets to a Smartphone Revolution'
French President Emmanuel Macron, who greeted the audience with a warm "Namaste," used his address to draw a vivid line between India's recent past and its future. "10 years ago, a street vendor in Mumbai could not open a bank account," he said. "No address, no papers, no access — and today the same vendor accepts payments on his phone." The anecdote, rooted in India's landmark digital public infrastructure stack, served as Macron's argument for why India's model of democratising technology is not just impressive but instructive for the rest of the world. Macron's presence — following his 2024 state visit to India — also underscored the deepening strategic partnership between Paris and New Delhi on technology and AI governance.
