PM Modi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai discuss AI growth; PM flags $400 billion IT potential

Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer of Google and Alphabet Inc., met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital during his visit for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, underscoring the growing strategic importance of artificial intelligence in bilateral and global engagements.

Pichai, who will deliver the keynote address on February 20, said in a post on X that it was “nice to be back in India” and thanked organisers for the warm welcome. The summit is being hosted at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20.

According to media reports, the meeting reviewed Google’s ongoing investments in India, including its cloud infrastructure expansion, AI research initiatives and efforts to deepen digital access in regional languages.

The discussions are understood to have touched upon responsible AI deployment, data governance frameworks and the need to align innovation with inclusive growth objectives.

$400 billion IT vision powered by AI

In a special interaction with ANI, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the transformative impact of AI on India’s technology ecosystem. He noted that the country’s IT sector — a backbone of services exports — stands at a pivotal juncture as AI reshapes outsourcing and domain-specific automation.

Citing market projections, Modi said India’s IT industry could scale to $400 billion by 2030, driven by new waves of AI-enabled services and innovation. He described AI as both a significant opportunity and a structural challenge for the sector.

The Prime Minister is also learnt to have emphasised the importance of skilling and reskilling India’s vast technology workforce to stay ahead in the AI era. The conversation reportedly included the role of global firms such as Google in supporting startups, strengthening developer ecosystems and enabling small businesses through AI-powered tools.

Global South hosts first global AI summit

The India AI Impact Summit, the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, has brought together delegates from more than 110 countries, 30 international organisations, nearly 20 Heads of State or Government, and around 45 ministers. The gathering is part of an evolving global process to strengthen cooperation on AI governance, safety and societal impact.

Anchored in the vision of “AI for Humanity,” the summit is guided by three foundational pillars — People, Planet and Progress. The framework seeks to promote human-centric AI that safeguards rights, ensures equitable benefits, advances environmentally sustainable innovation, and drives inclusive economic growth.