AI Impact Summit 2026 Day 5: Pax Silica Declaration Signed Between India And US; IMF MD Said AI Can Lift Global Growth By 0.8%

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday said artificial intelligence can lift global growth by 0.8%, and India's goal of becoming a Viksit Bharat or a developed nation is achievable.

Speaking at a panel discussion at the AI Impact Summit here, Georgieva said a research by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggests that AI has the potential to significantly accelerate global growth.

"We did some research and here is the answer. Based on what we know, AI can lift up global growth by almost a percentage point. We say 0.8%... It would mean that the world would grow faster than it did before the COVID pandemic," she said.
 

(Source: PTI)

AI will bring about a fundamental change, creating new devices, experiences and services, offering a 'massive opportunity', which offers India an 'incredible' chance to benefit from the transformation, Qualcomm President and Chief Executive Officer Cristiano Amon said on Friday.

For a country like India that leapfrogged the internet and went straight to the mobile internet, it is "going to be true again" about AI, he said while speaking at the AI Impact Summit here.

He further said in terms of the potential, as AI is going to "change everything, create new devices, new experiences, new services" that become a massive opportunity.

Pointing out opportunities for India, Amon said, "There is a process of jumping into large-scale industrialisation. India is becoming a global manufacturing hub as well. With AI, you go from the very beginning with smart manufacturing, automation with the incredible change that is happening in this sector, enabled by those technologies."

Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Friday said the convergence of biological intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI) can drive a paradigm shift in medicine, enabling breakthroughs in predictive healthcare, regenerative science and lifespan management.

"Biology on its own was limited in generating deeper insights, but AI tools are opening immeasurable opportunities to understand living systems," Mazumdar-Shaw said while speaking at the AI Impact Summit here.

She noted that biological systems function like distributed data centres, processing information with minimal energy compared to gigawatt-powered AI systems.

"Biology has a lot to teach AI in terms of how to do it with less energy, how to do it rapidly, and how to multiplex multimodal data very quickly," she said.

The government is thinking of creating a "complete AI stack" anchored in anonymised datasets that can be accessed by researchers and startups to power the next wave of innovation, Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary said on Friday.

Speaking at the AI Impact Summit in the national capital, Chaudhary, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the minister of state for education, emphasised the need for data sets to be segmented.

"There are protocols within the government of India. In education, we're thinking of creating a complete AI stack, which means the anonymised data sets will be made available for researchers, for creating the value for layers of innovation, for enabling startups to engage with that data that government and citizens have shared," he said.

Sovereignty in artificial intelligence (AI) does not imply isolation or complete self-reliance, but rather strategic control, Sunil Gupta, MD and CEO of Yotta Data Services, said. Speaking at the AI Impact Summit 2026, Gupta stressed that global interdependence in technology is inevitable. "We will always remain interconnected and interdependent across the world."

He further said that some countries will excel at chips, others at raw materials, data, models, talent, or capital, so "collaboration is essential".

However, he clarified that sovereignty does not mean attempting to build everything domestically or turning inward. Instead, it means ensuring that no single country or company can dictate a nation's digital future.

"Sovereignty is also confused with (the idea that) we will do everything ourselves. We'll start looking inwards. We will isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, and everything is done by us... Sovereignty, for sure, does not mean we become isolated and just try to do everything ourselves," said Gupta, who is also the co-founder.

(Source: PTI)

Institutions need not be gung-ho about the use of AI-based solutions until they are tested and trustworthy, a government official said on Friday.

Rohit Bhardwaj, Deputy Director General, Data Informatics & Innovation Division, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), also suggested that government departments should make the relevant data AI-ready by creating files that are readable by a computer.

"There should be context files, there should be semantics, and there should be metadata," he said, emphasising the storage of information in a structured format so that they become AI-ready.

The US-India partnership has a critical role to play in making the benefits of AI available to everyone and everywhere, said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc Sundar Pichai on Friday.

Speaking in New Delhi at the AI Impact Summit ahead of India and US signing of PAX SILICA declaration, he said Google is proud to serve as a connection point between the two countries "both figuratively and literally".

"Yesterday, at the opening session, I shared some thoughts on this profound moment of AI. I said we are on the cusp of an era of hyper progress and new discoveries, but the best outcomes are not guaranteed," Pichai said.

He further said, "We must work together to ensure the benefits of AI are available to everyone and everywhere. The US India partnership has a critical role to play."

(Source: PTI)

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology said that the world trusts India. He says, "We have a large talent pool and we have conducted our foreign policy in a way which creates their trust. As part of that, today, the Pax Silica was signed, which is very important for the semiconductor supply chain, semiconductor manufacturing, and chip design, for establishing the entire semiconductor ecosystem in our country."

"...India has become a part of the Pax Silica. This will greatly benefit India's electronics and semiconductor industry. Ten plants are already established in India and are in the process of being established, and very soon, the first semiconductor plant will begin commercial production. In that context, the most advanced two-nanometer chips are being designed in India today. A complete ecosystem is emerging in India. Pax Silica will be crucial for this, and the youth of India will benefit from it," Vaishnaw noted.
 

At the signing ceremony of the Pax Silica Declaration between India and the US, US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, says, "India's entry into Pax Silica is not just symbolic. It is strategic and essential. India is a nation with deep talent, deep enough to rival challengers. India's engineering depth offers critical capabilities for this vital coalition. In addition to talent, India has made important strides towards critical mineral processing capacity, and that is something that we are also fully engaged in. Policies that will reinforce US-India tech cooperation will power AI innovation and adoption for years to come. We can share trusted AI technology with the world, and especially with partners like India..."

#WATCH | Delhi: At the signing ceremony of the Pax Silica Declaration between India and the US, US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, says, "India's entry into Pax Silica is not just symbolic. It is strategic and essential. India is a nation with deep talent, deep enough to rival… pic.twitter.com/Ea9glHBq8V

— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2026

Pax Silica Declaration signed between India and the US, in the presence of Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology and Jacob Helberg, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs.

#WATCH | Delhi: Pax Silica Declaration signed between India and the US, in the presence of Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology and Jacob Helberg, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs pic.twitter.com/QyHkM2pebY

— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2026

At the signing ceremony of the Pax Silica Declaration between India and the US, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, says, "It's a profound honour to be here in Delhi at the India AI Impact Forum to mark a historic milestone in the partnership between the United States and India. Today we signed the Pax Silica Declaration, a document that's not merely an agreement on paper, but a roadmap for a shared future..."

"...Today, as we sign the Pax Silica Declaration, we say no to weaponised dependency, and we say no to blackmail. And together, we say that economic security is national security..."
 

At the signing ceremony of the Pax Silica Declaration between India and the US, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, says, "...Pax Silica is our declaration that the future belongs to those who build and when free people join forces, we do not wait for the future to be given to us. We build it ourselves."

"The United States and India are affirming our embrace of a pro-innovation approach to AI against those who would constrain us to set us back. We are forging a supply chain that is the foundation for prosperity. We are building a new architecture that diffuses intelligence, placing the awesome power of AI into the palms of our people's hands and unleashing a wave of unprecedented possibilities. From the minds to the models, we are securing the full stack of the future. The minerals deep in the earth, the silicon wafers in our labs and fabs, and the intelligence that will unleash human potential..."
 

Google CEO Sundar Pichai congratulated India joining Pax Silica and said US-India partnership has a critical role to play to make benefit of AI available to everyone. 

"I would like to congratulate on this historic day as India Joins the pax silica. US India partnership has critical role to play," said Pichai

India formally joined the 'Pax Silica' initiative today.

The initiative was launched in December to build a secure, resilient, and innovation-driven supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI).

The declaration lays out a shared vision of deep economic and technology cooperation across supply chains -- from raw materials through semiconductors and AI infrastructure -- and commitment to mutual prosperity and security.

The member nations of the Pax Silica include Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

“At the signing of the Pax Silica Declaration between India and the United States, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said that the initiative aims to strengthen and secure critical supply chains while promoting deeper commercial collaboration in key technologies. He congratulated both nations on this milestone, adding that, together with the recent trade agreement, it establishes a strong foundation for a long‑term, resilient US–India technology partnership.”

At the India AI Summit 2026, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "We have delivered early warnings to cotton farmers, reducing crop vulnerability and financial risk—this is predictive governance in action. We are building a statewide interoperable agriculture data exchange based on open standards, ensuring that data empowers farmers, not exploits them. We are also unveiling a traceability digital public infrastructure to enhance transparency, food safety, export competitiveness, and consumer trust. In partnership with India AI Mission, the Government of Maharashtra, the World Bank, and Wadhwani AI, we launched a global call for AI use cases in agriculture, and the resulting compendium was released in Delhi on Feb 17."

VIDEO | AI Impact Summit: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) says, “We have delivered early warnings to cotton farmers, reducing crop vulnerability and financial risk—this is predictive governance in action. We are building a statewide interoperable agriculture data… pic.twitter.com/ZcHt2B30QM

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 20, 2026

Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary, MeitY & CEO of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), says, "First key takeaway is that we have seen the global participation. The global participation shows how much other countries think that India is capable of doing, and that is first learning. Second, we have seen many startups showcasing their models and AI applications. Many of them have superior parameters or outcomes on different scales when they compare their solutions, AI applications, with already established AI applications. So that is again a very good thing. And this has been done in a very short period of time. Under the India AI mission, we are providing compute, data sets...I am confident that very soon you will see India taking the lead in this AI application journey."

Registered delegates are strongly advised to use public transport, metro services, or cabs to reach the venue, due to limited parking space availability.

Entry shall be from Gate No. 2 of Sushma Swaraj Bhawan for pedestrians, metro users, drop offs, and self-drive vehicles.

All registered delegates, including invitees, speakers, attendees, and other stakeholders are requested to take note of this revised access protocol and plan their arrival accordingly.

All concerned are advised to cooperate fully with security and traffic personnel and to strictly adhere to the instructions issued on-site to ensure smooth and secure conduct of the event.

Registered delegates are strongly advised to use public transport, metro services, or cabs to reach the Bharat Mandapam venue, due to limited parking space availability.

• Gate No. 4: Operational for entry from 8:00 a.m. onwards; drop offs by cars/cabs.
• Gate No. 7: Operational for entry from 8:00 a.m. onwards; drop offs by cars/cabs.
• Gate No. 10: Operational for entry from 8:00 a.m. onwards; for delegates arriving by Metro.
• Gate No. 5A: Operational for entry from 8:00 a.m. onwards; for media.

Access through other designated gates shall remain subject to security clearance and movement restrictions as per protocol.

Self-drive vehicles: Limited parking facility shall be available at the following locations:

1. Purana Qila Parking -1.6 km
2. Zoo Parking Space - 3 kms
3. JLN Stadium Parking - 4.8 kms

Shuttle services will ply from these locations to Bharat Mandapam Gate No. 04.

1. Within campus: Designated golf carts will be available for intra-venue movement.
2. Outside campus: Shuttle services will operate between Gates 4, 7, and 10.
    

The following timings shall be applicable across the Summit venues on Feb 20, 2026:

• Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre: 9:30 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
• Bharat Mandapam Expo Arena: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. to also remain open on Feb 21 on 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Event Name: AI for Agriculture: Scaling Intelligence for Food and Climate Resilience

Time: 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Speakers: 

• Abhishek Singh, MEITY and India AI Mission
• Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra
• Devesh Chaturvedi, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India
• Johannes Zutt, SARVP, World Bank Group
• Vikas Chandra Rastogi, Government of Maharashtra
• Shankar Maruwada, Ek Step Foundation.
• Soumya Swaminathan, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor praised the AI Impact Summit, saying the first couple of days had gone "extremely well" and "some glitches" can happen at any "large event". He said what has been impressive is the attendance of presidents, prime ministers, and world leaders who have come with a strong message of wanting to see a newly integrated world in artificial intelligence development.

While noting that the first couple of days went 'extremely well' at the summit, Tharoor said there have been 'some glitches' but such issues can happen at big events.
 

To minimise inconvenience to the public, traffic police have suggested alternate routes including San Martin Marg, Panchsheel Marg, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road, Kamal Ataturk Marg, Aurobindo Marg, Lodhi Road, Barapullah Road, Ring Road and Tilak Marg.

Other suggested diversions include Feroz Shah Road, Rafi Marg, Sansad Marg, K Kamraj Marg, South Avenue Road, Vandematram Marg, NH-48 via Rao Tula Ram Marg, Old Delhi-Gurugram Road and UER-II along with NH-48 service road.

Commuters heading towards central Delhi, diplomatic areas and airport routes have been advised to allow extra travel time and follow directions issued by traffic personnel on duty.
 

Several central Delhi roads are likely to be affected from 8 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 9 pm. These include Sardar Patel Marg, Mother Teresa Crescent, Teen Murti Marg, Akbar Road, Janpath, Windsor Place, Tees January Marg, Prithviraj Road, Rajesh Pilot Marg and Subrahmaniam Bharti Marg.

In addition, traffic movement may also be regulated on Mathura Road (between Lodhi Flyover and Dr Dinesh Chandra Dalmia Chowk), Bhairon Marg, Shanti Path (between Satya Marg and Kautilya Marg), Africa Avenue, Satya Marg (between Yashwant Place and Shanti Path), Dr Zakir Hussain Marg, Gurugram Road and Parade Road, the advisory stated.

Traffic restrictions will be imposed on several key roads in the capital on Friday in view of the India AI Impact Summit-2026 and scheduled VVIP movement, Delhi Traffic Police said.

According to a traffic advisory issued on Thursday, special traffic arrangements will be in place around Bharat Mandapam, the airport area and other important routes across the city to ensure smooth and secure movement of dignitaries attending the summit.

Restrictions will be enforced in two phases during the day, from 8 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 9 pm, it said, adding that commuters are advised to plan their journeys in advance and use alternative routes wherever possible.