Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics and IT, Railways and Information & Broadcasting, has outlined an ambitious roadmap for India’s artificial intelligence push, projecting investments of up to $150 billion in AI infrastructure by the end of 2026. Leading the Indian delegation in Davos, the minister announced that India has already secured investment commitments worth $70 billion, with the next 12 months likely to see fresh pledges in the range of $50–80 billion.

Speaking in an exclusive interaction with CNBCTV18 Managing Editor Shereen Bhan, along with senior industry leaders including TCS CEO K Krithivasan, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh, Wipro Executive Chairman Rishad Premji, Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel, RPG Group Vice Chairman Anant Goenka, and ReNew Power CEO Sumant Sinha, he described the momentum as a clear signal of global confidence in India’s AI ecosystem.

AI Investment in India

The investment cycle, he noted, began with Google’s announcement of a $15 billion AI hub in Visakhapatnam. Microsoft has since raised its India investment commitment to over $20 billion through 2030, while Amazon has assured an additional $35 billion over the same period.

With India expected to see a sharp rise in data centre construction, the minister underscored the importance of reliable and clean energy to power AI infrastructure. Referring to the recently passed Shanti Act, he said the government has opened the nuclear energy sector to private participation with future digital needs in mind. He highlighted emerging innovations in nuclear technology, including micro-reactors with capacities of around 20 MW- well-suited for AI deployments. India, he said, would be among the countries using nuclear power to support AI and other advanced technologies.

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AI Impact Summit 2026

Offering a preview of the upcoming AI Impact Summit, Vaishnaw confirmed that India will unveil its own large language models at the event. He said the country plans to develop 12 models in the 50–120 billion parameter range, designed to run on smaller GPU clusters and tested in live, real-world environments. Under the IndiaAI Mission, 12 startups have already been selected to build sovereign, foundational models.

The minister also outlined the government’s approach to AI adoption across sectors. Acknowledging that many use cases, particularly healthcare, are expected to be among the largest beneficiaries of AI adoption. Vaishnaw said AI could help India emerge as a global leader in preventive and predictive healthcare by improving early diagnosis and decision-making at scale. Calling on industry to play a larger role in talent development, the minister urged companies to support skilling initiatives and help design curricula that can build a strong pipeline of AI-ready professionals.

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He stressed that India’s strategy must span all five layers of the AI stack—applications, models, semiconductors, infrastructure and power. While India is well-positioned to lead in applications and develop strong model capabilities, he said progress in key domestic innovations could also strengthen the country’s standing in semiconductors. With strong global interest in setting up data centres and digital infrastructure in India, Vaishnaw reiterated his expectation that cumulative AI-related investments could reach $150 billion by 2026, positioning the country as a central player in the next phase of global AI growth.