IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said India is focused on practical applications of AI, including enterprise productivity, and solutions for population-scale challenges such as healthcare, agriculture, and climate change.Speaking at a research symposium at the AI Impact Summit, the minister also expressed happiness over the strong participation and optimism shown by young people at an AI Expo on Tuesday. He informed that about 2.5 lakh attendees, mostly under the age of 30, took part across the exhibition area.“It was a phenomenal response when I interacted with the young minds. I was so surprised by the optimism that most of the young people expressed towards this opportunity which is coming for them,” Vaishnaw said. — with PTIThose who lack intelligence shouldn’t post about AI: BJP on Rahul Gandhi’s AI Summit remarkFebruary 18, 2026 3:15 pmTaking a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark on the AI Summit, the BJP said anyone who does not have adequate intelligence should not post “ready-made” comments on social media on topics like artificial intelligence. BJP’s national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Gandhi always tries to tarnish India’s image whenever he sees the country playing a leading role on the world stage and is being lauded for its efforts. Earlier, Gandhi attacked the government, dubbing the ongoing AI Summit a “disorganised PR spectacle” and alleging that Chinese products are being showcased there.PM Modi meets Google CEO Sundar PichaiFebruary 18, 2026 2:52 pmPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday had a meeting with Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc, and discussed the work India is doing in artificial intelligence and how the technology giant can work with Indian students and professionals in this field. Pichai is here to attend the ongoing India AI Impact Summit, which is being held at Bharat Mandapam here alongside an expo. “It was a delight to meet Mr. Sundar Pichai on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. Talked about the work India is doing in AI and how Google can work with our talented students and professionals in this field,” Modi wrote on X.Institutionalise human control for AI-enabled systems: Lt Gen Vipul SinghalFebruary 18, 2026 1:19 pmIndia must adopt AI-enabled systems responsibly with institutionalised human control and clearly defined functions, which may be assisted and recommended by AI, said Lt Gen Vipul Singhal, Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Training). With India emerging as major military power with rapidly growing AI ecosystem and being a civilisation that has long understood that power must be governed by restraint, the country has both capability and credibility to lead the world in using AI responsibly in conflict, he said while addressing at a session on ‘Defence Perspective in AI’ at the summit.India to add USD 2 trillion tech market cap in next decade: Accel partnerFebruary 18, 2026 1:11 pmIndia is poised to add nearly USD 2 trillion in market capitalisation through technology over the next decade, creating large companies, which will reshape the country’s economic landscape, said VC firm Accel. “India is going to add USD 2 trillion of market cap using technology in the next decade,” said Accel Partner Prayank Swaroop while speaking at the ongoing AI Impact Summit. Technology companies currently account for only 4-5 per cent of India’s overall market capitalisation, however, he projected that this share could rise sharply to 15-20 per cent in the next 10 years.India AI Expo to remain closed on February 19, to get extra day on February 21February 18, 2026 1:11 pmhttps://www.Jattvibe.com/news/india/india-ai-summit-to-remain-closed-on-feb-19-to-get-extra-day-on-feb-21/India AI Impact Summit enters Guinness recordsFebruary 18, 2026 1:03 pmThe summit has entered the Guinness World Records for the highest number of pledges taken by students for the responsible use of AI within 24 hours, the British record-keeping entity said. Guinness World Records Adjudicator Pravin Patel announced that a total of 2,50,946 pledges were received during the summit against a target of 5,000. “It was the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi because of which we reached out to schools and colleges for the pledge for responsible use of AI,” Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.Qualcomm commits up to USD 150 million for Strategic AI Venture Fund in IndiaFebruary 18, 2026 12:12 pmGlobal chip major Qualcomm Incorporated plans to invest up to USD 150 million, or about Rs 1,360 crore, to support India’s rapidly expanding technology and AI startup ecosystem, the company said. The investments will be deployed through Qualcomm Ventures and will be made in startups across all stages, with a particular focus on AI for automotive, IoT, robotics, and mobile, the company said in a statement. The announcement coincides with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon’s participation in the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. “Through our new Strategic AI Venture Fund, Qualcomm is investing in companies that are advancing the next chapter of AI in India,” Amon said.AI to revolutionise science, medicine; societal challenges need global cooperation: Google DeepMind CEOFebruary 18, 2026 12:10 pmGoogle DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis struck a note of “cautious optimism” saying AI is set to transform science and medicine but asserted that managing its societal challenges will require international dialogue and cooperation. Addressing a packed hall at India AI Impact Summit, Hassabis said the world is at a “threshold moment”, with Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) potentially on the horizon within the next five to eight years. “My message is one of, I would say, cautious optimism. So I think we’re on the cusp of an absolutely incredible transformation that’s going to bring incredible benefits in science and medicine specifically, is what I’m passionate about, and I can see revolutionising the way we deal with human health,” he said.Chinese products showcased at AI summit; irreparable damage caused to image of country: Rahul GandhiFebruary 18, 2026 12:00 pmCongress leader Rahul Gandhi dubbed the AI Summit a “disorganised PR spectacle” and alleged that Chinese products are being showcased there. “Instead of leveraging India’s talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle – Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased,” Gandhi said in a post on X. The former Congress president’s remarks came amid a controversy over Galgotias University allegedly showcasing a robotic dog labelled “Orion” at the AI Summit expo that critics said was actually a Chinese-made Unitree Go2 and not an in-house innovation. According to sources, Galgotias University has been asked to vacate its stall at the AI Summit Expo immediately.Hopeful for a new future for India and the world: VaishnawFebruary 18, 2026 11:07 am“We, in India, are very focused on AI in the edge, AI for use cases, AI for solving real-world problems, AI for improving the productivity in the enterprises, for population-scale problems like healthcare, like agriculture, like climate change. These are things we are focused on here in India. And the AI submit brings that opportunity,” he said. The minister asked participants of the symposium to come out with solid concrete suggestions on how to make AI safe. AI is a great tool and should be used for the benefit of humans.Restricted access for delegates on Wednesday, Thursday; expo extended till 8 pmFebruary 18, 2026 11:05 amDelegates will get restricted access to the summit on Wednesday and Thursday due to VIP movements and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence at the venue, senior government officials have said. Delegates attending the conference at Bharat Mandapam will have to vacate the convention area by 4.30 pm as the PM will host dinner for state guests and business leaders post 6 pm, Meity officials said. Digital India managing director and CEO Akhil Kumar told reporters that the AI Expo area will remain open till 8 pm from February 18 onwards due to huge enthusiasm received by delegates.