India to Add 20,000 GPUs, AI Capacity to Cross 58,000; $200 Billion Investment Expected, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw
New Delhi, 17 February 2026: India will expand its national AI compute capacity by adding 20,000 GPUs to the existing 38,000 GPUs, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Day Two of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
The announcement signals the next phase of India’s AI expansion strategy, focused on scaling infrastructure and ensuring responsible deployment of artificial intelligence across sectors such as healthcare and education.
India’s AI Push Reflects PM Modi’s Vision
Addressing the media, the Minister said India’s AI strategy reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of democratizing technology. He emphasized that unlike countries where AI infrastructure is concentrated in a few corporations, India has enabled broader access to AI compute resources.
The media interaction was attended by Minister of State Jitin Prasada, MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan, and CEO of the IndiaAI Mission Abhishek Singh.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026, being held from 16–20 February in New Delhi, has brought together heads of state, global technology leaders, researchers, industry stakeholders, startups, and students. Around 20 sessions are being conducted by top global AI executives during the event.
Over $200 Billion AI Investment Likely in Two Years
Shri Vaishnaw expressed strong optimism about investment inflows, stating that more than $200 billion in AI-related investments is expected over the next two years. According to the Minister, venture capital firms are committing funds across all five layers of the AI stack, including deep-tech startups and large-scale AI applications.
He noted that India’s IT industry remains one of its biggest strengths and emphasized coordinated efforts between government, academia, and industry to manage the AI transition.
Three parallel initiatives are currently underway:
-
Reskilling and upskilling the existing workforce
-
Building a new AI-ready talent pipeline
-
Updating education curricula for emerging technologies
The Future Skills programme, launched three years ago, is now being leveraged for AI-based reskilling, with the Ministry of Education and AICTE revising course frameworks.
India Ranked Among Top Three AI Nations
Speaking about sovereign AI models launched at the Summit, the Minister said several Indian models have been benchmarked against global standards and have outperformed many large international systems on multiple parameters.
He further stated that Stanford has ranked India among the top three AI nations globally.
AI Safety and Responsible Deployment
Acknowledging the risks of AI misuse, Shri Vaishnaw highlighted India’s techno-legal approach that combines regulatory frameworks with technological safeguards.
India’s AI Safety Institute, a virtual institute working with multiple academic institutions, is developing technical solutions to prevent AI misuse and ensure responsible innovation.
Clean Energy Advantage for AI Infrastructure
The Minister underlined that approximately 51 percent of India’s power generation capacity comes from clean energy sources, giving the country a major advantage in powering AI data centres sustainably.
Ongoing research aims to reduce energy and water consumption of AI infrastructure, with innovations indicating potential reductions in energy use by up to 35 percent.
Semiconductor Mission and Deep-Tech Growth
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the Semiconductor Mission, Shri Vaishnaw said Semiconductor 2.0 will focus primarily on chip design. He projected that at least 50 deep-tech startups are expected to emerge in the coming years.
On the first day of the Summit, more than 2.5 lakh students pledged to use AI responsibly. The initiative is being submitted for recognition by Guinness World Records.
The Minister concluded that India remains committed to advancing AI responsibly, strengthening innovation capacity, and ensuring broad-based societal benefits from artificial intelligence.