India to add 20,000 GPUs to strengthen its position in global AI leadership

India has announced a major expansion of its artificial intelligence infrastructure, signalling a decisive step toward strengthening its global AI leadership. Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday revealed that the country will add 20,000 additional Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to its existing base of over 38,000 GPUs in the coming weeks.

The announcement was made on the second day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, being held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from February 16 to 20. With this expansion, India’s total compute capacity will exceed 58,000 GPUs, significantly boosting the country’s AI ecosystem.

Strategic Expansion Under IndiaAI Mission

The expansion is part of the ₹10,300+ crore IndiaAI Mission, a flagship initiative designed to make advanced AI infrastructure widely accessible. Under the Mission, more than 38,000 high-end GPUs have already been made available at a subsidised rate of ₹65 per hour, lowering barriers for startups, researchers, students and public institutions.

By adding 20,000 more GPUs, the government aims to deepen compute capacity while promoting responsible and inclusive AI deployment. The move reflects a strategic approach focused not only on infrastructure growth but also on democratising access to foundational AI resources such as compute power, datasets and model ecosystems.

Largest AI Gathering with a Global Footprint

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, themed “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya” (Welfare for All, Happiness for All), is being described as the largest AI gathering globally. The summit has drawn participation from over 20 Heads of State, 60 Ministers, and 500 global AI leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo on February 16, marking the formal opening of the summit. The event underscores India’s emergence as a leading voice in shaping the global AI discourse, particularly from the Global South.

AI as the Fifth Industrial Revolution

Addressing the summit, the Minister described artificial intelligence as a driver of the “fifth industrial revolution,” with transformative implications across agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing, governance, and climate action. The scaling up of GPU capacity, he noted, aligns India’s infrastructure with its ambitions in these critical sectors.

The government expressed strong confidence in the growth trajectory of India’s AI ecosystem. According to the Minister, more than USD 200 billion in investments are likely to flow into the country’s AI sector over the next two years. Venture capital firms are reportedly committing funds across all five layers of the AI stack, including deep-tech startups, large-scale solutions, and major AI applications.

Sovereign AI Models and Global Recognition

India’s sovereign AI models have emerged as a major highlight of the summit. Several domestically developed models have been benchmarked against leading global systems, with many reportedly performing better across multiple parameters.

Further strengthening India’s global standing, Stanford University has ranked India among the top three AI nations in the world. The expansion of GPU infrastructure is expected to reinforce this position by enabling large-scale experimentation, research and deployment.

A Framework Rooted in Responsibility

The intellectual foundation of the summit rests on three core principles, or Sutras:

People – ensuring AI serves humanity while preserving dignity and inclusivity

Planet – aligning innovation with environmental sustainability

Progress – ensuring equitable distribution of AI benefits

These guiding principles are operationalised through seven thematic Chakras, focusing on human capital development, social inclusion, safe and trusted AI governance, environmental resilience, scientific advancement, democratisation of AI resources, and AI-driven economic growth and social good.

Casebooks and Sectoral Impact

During the summit, the Government of India launched six sectoral AI Impact Casebooks, documenting over 170 deployed and scalable AI innovations across key sectors such as Health, Energy, Gender Empowerment, Education, Agriculture, and Accessibility. These casebooks highlight solutions that are already delivering measurable outcomes and can be replicated at scale.

RailTel Corporation of India Ltd curated two dedicated sessions on AI-powered public health, focusing on collaborative models for inclusive and accessible healthcare delivery. Additional discussions examined AI’s role in governance, employability, and public service transformation.

A session titled “AI in Governance: Revolutionising Government Efficiency” emphasised measurable impact, responsible deployment and system-level readiness across public institutions. Another high-level dialogue on the future of employability highlighted the importance of human-centric skills in the AI era, positioning India’s demographic strength as a key advantage.

From Infrastructure to Outcomes

Experts at the summit stressed that compute capacity, models and data must translate into tangible applications that enhance productivity, strengthen governance and improve citizen welfare. Discussions on scaling sovereign AI and data ecosystems highlighted India’s ambition to move from being primarily an AI consumer to becoming a global creator of AI systems.

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The addition of 20,000 GPUs marks a critical milestone in this journey. By expanding compute infrastructure while embedding ethical governance and global collaboration, India is positioning itself as a leading force in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

With total capacity set to cross 58,000 GPUs, the country is aligning ambition with execution—laying the groundwork for innovation that advances welfare, prosperity, and shared progress.