'You cannot stop these models from getting better. There is competitive and business pressure and if the US stops then maybe China will go ahead.'
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu lauded the state's first 10-day artificial intelligence boot camp and hackathon at IIT-Guwahati. The programme aims to build AI skills, promote innovation, and create a future-ready digital workforce, offering hands-on training in AI/ML, Python, and NLP to 40 young participants.
OpenAI's chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, has issued a stark warning about the accelerating pace of artificial intelligence, stating that "no one is prepared" for its rapid rise and potential consequences. He highlights concerns over autonomous AI agents taking unintended actions and calls for international coordination, voluntary slowdowns, and robust safety measures to ensure human control and alignment with human values as machine intelligence surpasses human capabilities.
Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu argues that predictions of AI's catastrophic outcomes are overstated and a global pause in AI development is improbable. He urges India to adopt an independent AI strategy, focusing on extensive foundational R&D across sectors, while remaining wary of market monopolisation attempts by major tech players. Vembu also highlights concerns about AI's impact on human judgment, skill development, and job markets, particularly for junior professionals.
A joint report by Dell Technologies and Zinnov reveals that despite high ambition, nearly 70% of India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are stuck at the pilot stage for AI adoption. Foundational gaps in data, infrastructure, and governance are identified as key bottlenecks preventing the scaling of AI initiatives into enterprise-wide production. The report highlights the need for significant reskilling of the workforce and robust foundations for industrialising AI responsibly.
Zoho cofounder Sridhar Vembu dismisses exaggerated fears about AI's catastrophic potential and global development pauses. He advocates for India to adopt an independent AI strategy, fostering partnerships while avoiding entanglement in US-China tech rivalry. Vembu stresses extensive investment in foundational R&D across sectors, distinguishing it from costly frontier AI model development. He also highlights concerns about AI's impact on human judgment, skill erosion, and job disruption, particularly in software engineering, while remaining optimistic about new economic opportunities.
Researchers from IIIT-Delhi and MS Swaminathan Research Foundation have developed SICKLE, a multi-satellite dataset designed to enhance AI systems' ability to monitor crops, identify growth, and estimate yields across vast agricultural areas. This dataset combines satellite imagery with field-level information, enabling machine learning models to understand various aspects of crop cultivation and predict key parameters like phenology and productivity.
'There is a long set of decisions that have to be made along the way for anything to actually get actuated in the real world.'
India's IT Ministry sources state the country will not slow down its Artificial Intelligence development, distinguishing its focus on people-centric applications from global concerns over frontier models. The government acknowledges AI safety risks and is tightening incident reporting norms, with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasising regulation for user safety.
Microsoft has inaugurated its India South Central datacenter region in Telangana, marking its fourth cloud region in the country. This expansion aims to bolster India's cloud and AI infrastructure, with Telangana targeting 5 GW of datacenter capacity by 2029 and attracting significant investment in the digital ecosystem.
Salesforce executives, including South Asia CEO Arundhati Bhattacharya, predict a significant shift in India towards wider enterprise AI adoption, moving from experimentation to production deployments. The company plans to invest in physical infrastructure and talent upskilling in India. Salesforce's vision for the "agentic enterprise" involves a four-layer architecture, emphasising the need for robust security and governance for autonomous agents. Executives also highlighted the evolving nature of jobs, with AI handling repetitive tasks and creating new specialised roles, positioning India as a potential leader in agentic innovation by 2030.
UST, a California-based technology company, highlights India's unique opportunity to build an AI-native semiconductor ecosystem, bypassing older models. Speaking at SEMICON India 2026, UST COO Gilroy Mathew emphasised India's advantage in investing in infrastructure and talent at the right time, enabling it to create AI-native manufacturing and supply chains for future competitiveness.
China has called for stronger global governance of artificial intelligence, advocating for international cooperation to develop the technology for humanity's benefit while preventing it from getting out of control. This comes amidst warnings from leading AI researchers in the US about potential existential risks, with China emphasizing both rapid development and robust safeguards, including its new AI Safety Governance Framework 3.0. The issue is expected to be a key topic in upcoming US-China talks.
Industry leaders at an AIMA panel discussion emphasised the need for businesses to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and invest in technologies like artificial intelligence to build resilience and achieve long-term growth. They highlighted the current era of uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and rapid regulatory changes, stressing that tactical responses are as crucial as long-term strategy.
OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have introduced new AI models with enhanced capabilities. OpenAI's Astra model, achieving a 'Critical' cybersecurity tier, has ignited a debate among researchers due to its "recurrent depth" architecture, which some fear makes its reasoning harder to monitor. Anthropic and Google also released new models, focusing on coding, scientific research, and cybersecurity, alongside new image and video AI tools.
KPMG in India CEO Yezdi Nagporewalla expressed concern over the high valuations of global AI companies, deeming them unsustainable. He believes India, despite a late start, has a strong chance to develop its own unique Local Language Models due to its robust tech ecosystem and global capability centres.
A member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal, Mines & Steel, Sasmit Patra, highlighted the transformative potential of AI and digital technologies in making India's mining and metals sector more productive, transparent, and globally competitive. He emphasised their role in enhancing efficiency, safety, sustainability, and community engagement.
Regional OTT platform STAGE is set to release India's first AI-made biopic on farmer leader Sir Chhotu Ram. The project leverages artificial intelligence for various aspects of filmmaking, from visualisation to character generation, aiming to reduce production costs and expand storytelling possibilities for underserved cultures and languages.
Microsoft India and South Asia President, Puneet Chandok, discusses the company's strong belief in human-centric AI development, significant investments in India's cloud and AI infrastructure, and the country's pivotal role as an AI market, talent hub, and technology builder. He highlights AI's impact on jobs and the need for responsible innovation.
A national study of top 75 Indian B-schools reveals a significant competency gap in AI skills among management graduates, with industry expectations far exceeding current MBA capabilities. A new framework by AIMS, EPSI, and IMC highlights the urgent need for management education to adapt to an AI-led workplace, emphasizing behavioural competencies alongside data fluency.
Samsung India has launched an Innovation Campus in Karnataka, in partnership with Nrupathunga University, to train 2,000 young individuals in industry-relevant AI skills. This initiative aims to support Karnataka's goal of building an AI-native ecosystem and developing a future-ready technology workforce, expanding access to practical AI education.
Bengaluru-based deep-tech company RayVector Technologies is demonstrating its advanced multi-sensor module and wafer-handling technology at SEMICON India. This innovative solution uses sensing, imaging, and AI to detect minute irregularities in semiconductor wafers, helping manufacturers prevent costly production losses. The technology is already being utilised by major global players like Samsung, Intel, and TSMC, highlighting India's growing contribution to the global semiconductor ecosystem.
IIT Guwahati researchers have developed SH²RFSSM, a model inspired by how biological neurons communicate.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has identified a significant opportunity for India as the company transitions its enterprise systems to an AI-first model. He emphasised India's crucial role, leveraging its extensive pool of technology professionals and partners, in this global technological transformation, which he likened to a "Y2K moment" for engineering.
A new IDC report reveals that artificial intelligence is prompting organisations worldwide to retrieve and utilise previously archived, "cold-tier" data for AI training, significantly increasing its perceived value and leading to longer data retention periods and a burgeoning market for datasets.
Leading global technology companies OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have introduced new AI models with enhanced capabilities, including advanced cybersecurity and coding. However, these releases have ignited significant debate among researchers regarding the transparency and monitorability of AI reasoning, particularly concerning OpenAI's Astra model and its "recurrent depth" architecture.
Padma Shri awardee educationist Dinesh Singh advocates for teachers to embrace artificial intelligence, viewing it as a tool to elevate their role rather than a threat. Speaking at the 4th STTAR Global Education Conference, Singh urged educators to use AI to become "gurus." Other leaders, including Shishir Jaipuria, emphasised that the future of education lies in human-technology collaboration, with teachers remaining crucial for inspiring students.
Google's Gemini reportedly hacked three companies in the first known breakout, after the model accessed the internet and breached external systems during an evaluation of its cybersecurity capabilities.
HCLTech has launched 'HCLTech Pulse', a new business unit designed to help enterprises with annual revenues between USD 500 million and USD 5 billion accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence and modernise their technology infrastructure, targeting a USD 400 billion global market opportunity.
Homegrown software company Zoho has launched Zia Chat, a unified AI interface designed to streamline business operations across various functions. Alongside this, Zoho announced its entry into vertical SaaS with seven industry-specific applications for sectors like retail, automotive, healthcare, and education, reinforcing its position as a 'Swadeshi' alternative to global tech giants.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel addressed AI Manthan 2.0, advocating for the comprehensive integration of Artificial Intelligence across all university subjects rather than as a standalone course. She urged universities to develop clear, time-bound AI roadmaps covering education, research, healthcare, and agriculture, emphasising indigenous AI development, employment creation, and the importance of "Safe and Trusted AI." The event also saw the formation of an AI Policy Advisory Group and an AI Implementation Group to drive these initiatives.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff highlights India's crucial role in the company's shift to an AI-first enterprise system. He emphasized India's vast pool of technology professionals and partners as key to this transformation, underscoring the country's importance in Salesforce's global strategy.
India's IT services industry is witnessing a surge in mergers and acquisitions, particularly among mid-cap companies, as AI-led pricing pressure and macroeconomic uncertainty compel firms to seek scale, capabilities, and broader market reach. This trend is exemplified by the recent merger of Happiest Minds Technologies and ITC Infotech, aiming to offer end-to-end solutions and compete for larger transformation programmes.
OpenAI has officially launched GPT-6 Astra, hailed as 'the world's most intelligent and aligned model,' designed to excel in computer browsing, software engineering, mathematics, and enterprise workflows, with immediate deployment for select organisations.
Google has chosen four Indian startups -- Terrastack, Varaha Climate, Farmers for Forests, and Climitra Carbon -- for its inaugural Google DeepMind Accelerator: AI for the Planet programme.
A report by Bain & Company and HealthQuad identifies remote patient monitoring, OT/ICU optimisation, and chronic disease management as key opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in Indian healthcare. The report highlights a shift from experimental AI to real-world applications, driven by government initiatives, increasing EMR adoption, and a robust startup ecosystem. AI's autonomous capabilities are rapidly advancing while costs decrease, creating significant growth potential for providers and startups.
'My suggestion to Nandan Nilekani is that it would be worthwhile for him to take a holistic review in a manner in which examination is just one critical component.'
BRICS leaders, in their New Delhi Declaration 2026, have called for wider access to Artificial Intelligence resources and stronger international cooperation to ensure the technology is safe, secure, inclusive, and reliable. The declaration outlines a broad technology agenda covering AI, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, telecom, quantum technologies, and advanced manufacturing, committing to implement the grouping's statement on 'Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence'.
Renowned filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani believes artificial intelligence will entirely transform the film industry, making production more cost-effective and efficient. He highlights AI's potential as a "game changer" while also cautioning that its effective use requires extensive research and adaptation.
Experts at AI Manthan 2.0 in Kanpur stressed the need for Artificial Intelligence to be customised for India's specific requirements in education, healthcare, agriculture, and governance. Discussions highlighted the development of local language models, AI solutions for farmers like crop loss assessment and a single-window platform, and AI's role in healthcare for diagnosis and reducing doctors' workload, all while ensuring data privacy through federated learning.
