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Quote of the day: ‘India can be full-stack player in AI,’ Sundar Pichai says at AI Impact Summit
Pichai said that the government is also playing a role in the diffusion of AI across the country and economy.
India can be a “full-stack player” when it comes to artificial intelligence, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said on Tuesday.
Pichai, a graduate from IIT Kharagpur, is in New Delhi for the Global AI Impact Summit 2026, and is scheduled to deliver the keynote address on February 20.
While speaking at a media event on the sidelines of the summit, Pichai said, “I think of Google as a full-stack company. And I think India, obviously is going to be a full-stack player in AI.” He said than this is an important position to be in, PTI news agency reported, adding that this was what the AI summit was about.
“You have to make sure you're investing in all the foundational things you need, in the research, knowledge and institutions...” PTI cited the Google CEO as saying. Pichai further said that the government is also playing a role in the diffusion of AI across the country and economy, and is “making sure it's reaching people.”
Pichai said that the progress lies in diffusing AI, asserting that India can play a role as the builder, developer or rule shaper. The Google CEO, who also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today, also said that India is a blueprint for democratising AI globally.
He said that the country's language ecosystem and digital infrastructure make for a “powerful foundation for innovation”, while expressing confidence that India would have an “extraordinary trajectory” in AI.
“AI has the biggest impact when developed and deployed with institutions that understand communities best,” Pichai said, adding that he Google has a “full-stack connectivity in India.”
“I have never been more excited about the future we are building together,” he said during a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Google has made some important announcements regarding its AI ecosystem in India, including the India-America Connect Initiative for new subsea cables between the US, India, and the wider Global South.
