New Delhi

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, on Wednesday described artificial intelligence as the most significant technological transformation of this era, stating that India is exceptionally well placed to harness its potential.

Addressing a Google-hosted event held alongside the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Pichai said the company is committed to supporting India’s AI ambitions and sees the country as a key partner in shaping the technology’s future.

He noted that AI has the capacity to address large-scale global challenges — from improving disease detection and strengthening climate resilience to expanding access to education. According to him, nations like India can use AI to bridge long-standing gaps and unlock fresh economic opportunities. He added that India’s strong adoption rates and optimism around AI reflect this potential. Google, he said, has invested in AI research and development for over a decade, viewing it as central to its long-term mission.

Infrastructure and Connectivity Push

Pichai announced the launch of the India America Connect initiative, which will introduce new subsea cable links to enhance digital and AI connectivity between India, the United States, and other regions in the Southern Hemisphere.

He also highlighted Google’s infrastructure expansion plans, including a proposed $15 billion AI hub in Visakhapatnam. The facility is expected to house large-scale computing capabilities and serve as an international subsea cable gateway, creating jobs and expanding access to advanced AI technologies for businesses and communities across India.

Product and Language Expansion

Pointing out that Indian users are among the most active globally in voice and visual search, Pichai said Google will soon roll out an upgraded AI model powering Search Lite, enabling users to search using voice and images in their preferred languages.

He added that the Gemini AI assistant has seen rapid growth in India, which ranks among its largest markets. The application is currently available in 10 Indian languages.

Skilling and Partnerships

Emphasising the importance of workforce readiness, Pichai unveiled new training initiatives, including a Google AI Professional Certificate aimed at helping individuals integrate AI tools into their careers. The programme will initially be offered in English and Hindi, with plans to expand into additional Indian languages.

In India, Google will collaborate with Wadhwani AI to reach students and early-career professionals. Globally, the company intends to work with governments, academic institutions, employers, and non-profits to broaden AI literacy.

Pichai also announced a partnership between Google DeepMind and the Government of India under the Global National Partnerships programme. The initiative aims to expand access to advanced AI systems for national priority projects. Additionally, Google will work with Atal Tinkering Labs to introduce generative AI assistants in over 10,000 schools, benefiting around 11 million students, particularly in robotics and coding education.

India as a “Full-Stack” AI Player

Pichai said India has the ingredients required to emerge as a comprehensive player across the AI value chain — from research and infrastructure to deployment at scale. He stressed that sustained investment in institutions, research ecosystems, and public-private collaboration would be critical to ensuring that AI adoption benefits farmers, students, healthcare providers, and other segments of society.

Citing early-stage collaboration with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), he explained how AI tools could help patients input symptoms and generate structured reports to assist doctors. Such applications, he said, illustrate how workflows across sectors — education, healthcare, governance, and scientific research — could be fundamentally transformed.

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The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is focused on translating AI discussions into measurable outcomes aligned with national priorities. It seeks to advance practical deployment, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and accelerate skill development to support India’s AI-driven growth.