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.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for global collaboration in Artificial Intelligence development, stating it should be a "symphony" rather than a "solo performance." His remarks came at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, where 29 countries also signed an agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), an independent intergovernmental body headquartered in Shanghai. China also pledged 5,000 AI research projects and training for developing nations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
India is adopting a two-pronged strategy for artificial intelligence development, focusing on open-source models and indigenous innovation to counter global access restrictions on advanced AI technologies. The government aims to support local developers and ensure AI creates tangible economic impact across various sectors, rather than being solely driven by market speculation.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged significant investment in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, and quantum technology, identifying them as India's next major growth frontiers. Speaking at an IIT Madras Alumni Association event, she emphasized the need to build hardware, skills, and institutional ecosystems to harness these technologies, countering perceptions that India is lagging in AI. Sitharaman also highlighted the potential for increased investment in defence production, particularly in unmanned systems and drones, stressing collaboration between academia and industry.
Experts at a discussion in Delhi emphasised the importance of ethical governance and indigenous capability in India's pursuit of becoming a global artificial intelligence power, ensuring technology serves the public good and maintains strategic autonomy.
The Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship has launched an Rs 11 lakh Player Development Scholarship. This initiative, supported by DCM Shriram Foundation, aims to nurture talent by providing financial aid to winners and runners-up across five singles categories, supplementing the existing prize money.
Quantum computing is set to redefine artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and scientific discovery, promising unprecedented speeds and capabilities while also necessitating urgent development of quantum-safe security measures and strategic enterprise readiness, says Sunil Varghese.
A special MPID court in Mumbai has framed charges against developer Vijay Machhindar, his wife, and their company Ornate Spaces Pvt Ltd for allegedly cheating homebuyers and investors of Rs 28 crore. The charges relate to failing to deliver flats in an Oshiwara residential project and not returning the invested money, leading to a trial under IPC, MPID, and MOFA provisions.
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.
'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.'
Switzerland will host the next global AI summit in June 2027 in Geneva, aiming to establish stable processes for AI governance and promote its responsible use. Building on previous summits, including one in New Delhi, the event will focus on AI as a driver of prosperity and human-centred innovation, bringing together governments, organisations, and civil society to address global challenges.
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.
IIT Guwahati researchers have developed SH²RFSSM, a model inspired by how biological neurons communicate.
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.
A Bain & Company report projects the global AI market must reach nearly USD 6 trillion annually by 2031 to sustain massive infrastructure investments. This growth will largely depend on new innovations beyond productivity gains, with a significant gap needing to be filled by emerging revenue streams like autonomous vehicles, physical AI, and new AI-driven products. The report also highlights the surge in hardware and semiconductor industries due to AI compute demand and the importance of AI absorption for Indian companies.
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.
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.
IIT-Kanpur has developed an AI-powered "Family Score" system to identify households needing welfare support using existing government data. This system, demonstrated in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh government, aims to provide a faster and more cost-effective alternative to traditional surveys for assessing socio-economic conditions and ensuring targeted welfare delivery.
NVIDIA has acquired AI startup Hugging Face for USD 12.9 billion, aiming to scale its platform, strengthen infrastructure, and expand AI access for developers and institutions globally while maintaining an open ecosystem.
Two IIT Gandhinagar students have developed "TrustGate," an AI-based cybersecurity system designed to protect critical infrastructure like water treatment plants and power grids. The system uniquely combines network traffic and physical sensor data to detect sophisticated cyber attacks, identify affected equipment, and provide real-time alerts to operators, earning them an international award.
A new report by CIEL HR indicates a massive 260 per cent year-on-year surge in demand for Agentic AI engineers in India by 2026. This growth highlights AI's increasing role in automating routine tech functions and the evolving landscape of technology skills, prompting organisations to invest in reskilling and talent development to meet the rising demand for AI, cloud, and cybersecurity expertise.
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.
Leading technology companies OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have announced new AI models with advanced capabilities, including OpenAI's Astra reaching a "Critical" cybersecurity tier. However, these advancements have ignited a significant debate among safety researchers and netizens, particularly concerning the transparency and monitorability of OpenAI's novel "recurrent depth" architecture.
Students are learning to combine technology with agriculture, healthcare, biotechnology, architecture and fashion, explains Mandeep Singh, assistant professor and deputy dean, Lovely Professional University.
OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have unveiled new AI models with enhanced capabilities, including advanced cybersecurity and coding. OpenAI's Astra model achieved a 'Critical' cybersecurity tier, but its novel architecture, using "recurrent depth," has sparked significant safety concerns among researchers who fear it makes monitoring the model's reasoning more difficult. Anthropic and Google also introduced new models and features, further advancing AI technology while the debate over responsible development intensifies.
Bengaluru-based Oppex AI, an AI-native platform for production operations, has successfully raised Rs 4.2 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Info Edge Ventures. The capital will be utilised to expand its team, accelerate product development, and scale deployments, aiming to advance AI-led transformation in enterprise technology.
Prof Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, highlighted Artificial Intelligence's transformative potential in healthcare, emphasising its role in augmenting doctors' capabilities and enhancing efficiency. Speaking at PGIMER's Foundation Day, he stressed the need for India to develop AI solutions tailored to its unique healthcare realities, moving beyond being a mere consumer of Western-trained systems. PGIMER Director Vivek Lal also detailed the institute's expansion and commitment to affordable healthcare.
Roles that mention AI in software development have grown 138 per cent between Q2 2024 and Q2 2026.
Chinese President Xi Jinping began his second state visit to the US, meeting President Donald Trump at the White House. Both leaders expressed a desire for a better future for their nations, with Xi emphasising cooperation over confrontation and the avoidance of the "Thucydides Trap." Discussions also touched upon artificial intelligence governance and the extension of a trade truce. The visit was notably marked by a media boycott of White House coverage due to a dispute over press access.
The Haldwani forest division has launched India's first AI-based forest acoustic surveillance system. This innovative technology uses AI, acoustic sensors, and long-range wireless communication to detect illegal logging, poaching, and other suspicious activities in real-time, even in remote areas. Powered by solar energy, the system provides continuous monitoring, significantly enhancing forest protection, wildlife conservation, and biodiversity monitoring efforts.
Researchers have developed a new AI model that can monitor satellites and detect anomalies in their behaviour, significantly reducing the risk of in-orbit collisions. This tool, part of the AI4 Space Safety and Sustainability project, learns from satellite light reflections to predict motion and identify unusual activity, crucial for managing the increasingly crowded space environment.
A Microsoft Work Trend Index report reveals India has the highest share of "Frontier Professionals" globally, with 32% of its AI users employing AI agents in multi-step workflows, double the global average. Indian professionals are not just adopting AI but are actively redesigning work processes, demonstrating strong leadership alignment and a focus on human oversight and critical thinking. Major Indian IT firms like Infosys, TCS, and Wipro show rapid adoption and significant productivity gains with Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated that human-led artificial intelligence will be the defining force in India's journey to becoming a developed nation by 2047. Speaking at the 29th National Conference on e-Governance, he emphasised that technology must strengthen governance without replacing human accountability, advocating for responsible AI deployment with citizens at the centre. The conference concluded with the adoption of the Jaipur Declaration on e-Governance 2026, outlining a roadmap for AI-enabled, data-driven, and secure digital governance.
Gaganyaan astronaut Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair stressed the critical importance of AI sovereignty for national cybersecurity, citing the increasing difficulty in distinguishing between real and fake content due to AI. Speaking at the Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit, Nair highlighted that future conflicts and industries would involve a 'whole-of-nation approach,' blurring physical and digital boundaries. He urged greater awareness of digital threats and emphasised India's need to build on its technological capabilities in AI and cybersecurity, drawing parallels with the success of Chandrayaan-3. Other speakers also underscored the rising threat of cyberattacks and the potential for Kerala to contribute to national technology requirements.
The judgment is India's first to examine AI companies' use of copyrighted works for foundation models, setting an analytical framework for Section 52 of the Copyright Act.