Sweden’s Deputy PM Ebba Busch Lands in India for Global AI Impact Summit 2026

New Delhi, Feb 18: Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch arrived in the national capital on Wednesday to participate in the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, reinforcing the expanding partnership between New Delhi and Stockholm across technology and innovation sectors.

Busch, who also handles Sweden’s Energy, Business and Industry portfolio, was received by Indian officials, with the Ministry of External Affairs underscoring the wide ranging cooperation between the two nations in trade, innovation, climate initiatives and education.

The five day India-AI Impact Summit 2026, underway at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20, has brought together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and civil society representatives from more than 110 countries. Around 20 Heads of State or Government and nearly 45 ministers are expected to take part in discussions focused on artificial intelligence governance, safety and real world deployment.

Positioned as the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, the event aligns with India’s broader vision of inclusive technological growth and responsible AI development. Built around the three guiding pillars  People, Planet and Progress  the summit seeks to advance human centric innovation, environmentally sustainable AI systems and equitable economic expansion.

Addressing the gathering, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted sustainability as central to India’s AI ambitions. He noted that over half of the country’s installed power capacity comes from clean energy sources, enabling responsible expansion of compute infrastructure. Research efforts are also aimed at reducing power and water usage in AI data centres by up to 35 percent.

The minister announced plans to scale India’s AI computing capabilities further by adding 20,000 GPUs to the existing base of 38,000, reflecting rising demand for advanced processing capacity. He projected significant investment flows into the AI ecosystem over the next two years, supported by venture capital backing across multiple layers of the technology stack.

Emphasising responsible deployment, Vaishnaw outlined initiatives spanning healthcare, education and workforce reskilling. A techno-legal framework is being strengthened to guard against misuse, while the India AI Safety Institute is working with academic partners to develop safeguards and risk mitigation strategies.

Officials said the summit aims to deepen international collaboration while ensuring AI innovation remains inclusive, secure and environmentally conscious.