AI Summit 2026: India Leads the World in AI Adoption, Says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

Highlighting India’s pivotal role in the global technological landscape, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Thursday stated that the country is currently leading the world in AI adoption and is poised to become one of the largest markets for the technology.

Speaking to ANI at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Altman said, "It is amazing to be here, obviously the work happening in India and the adoption of AI is leading the world, and I can't wait to see what goes next."

"India is not just participating in the Artificial Intelligence revolution but leading it," he added.

Altman expressed optimism regarding India’s digital trajectory, noting that the work happening within the nation’s tech ecosystem is "amazing" and currently setting a global pace.

He identified India as a primary driver of future innovation, suggesting the nation will wield a "huge amount of influence" over how AI evolves globally.

How Will AI Impact the Job Market According to Sam Altman?

Addressing concerns over automation, Altman acknowledged the impact AI will have on the job market but expressed confidence in human adaptability.

OpenAI has seen its second-largest user base emerge from India, where the company opened its first office in New Delhi last year.

On the sidelines of the summit, Tata Group, Tata Consultancy Services, and OpenAI announced a multi-dimensional strategic partnership to drive AI-powered innovation across enterprise, consumer, and social sectors.

The collaboration will focus on powering AI-led innovation across Tata Group companies, driving AI transformation across industries globally, and setting up AI infrastructure.

Altman emphasized that the partnership will build industry-specific Agentic AI solutions, combining OpenAI’s advanced AI platforms with TCS’s contextual knowledge of industries and deep AI expertise.

How Will TCS Accelerate AI-Led Transformation with OpenAI Solutions?

Through this partnership, TCS will help customers accelerate AI-led transformation by deploying, integrating, and scaling OpenAI’s solutions worldwide.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also addressed the summit, underscoring the need for inclusive governance of AI.

"Prime Minister Modi, thank you for your kind invitation and congratulations for India's leadership in organising the first AI summit in the Global South. The meeting in India has special meaning," he said.

Guterres stressed that artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming societies and economies and that its future "cannot be decided by a handful of countries or left to the whims of a few billionaires."

He emphasized multilateral cooperation to ensure equitable access and responsible use of AI, stating, "The message of this summit is simple. Real impact means technology that improves lives and protects the planet. So let's build AI for everyone with dignity as the default setting."

The UN noted AI’s potential to support inclusivity, reduce inequalities, accelerate nearly 80% of the Sustainable Development Goals, and strengthen the work of the UN system.

It has committed to adopting AI internally in a proactive, ethical, human rights-based, and mandate-led manner to address gender inequality, discrimination, and bias, while investing in predictive and prescriptive analytics enhanced with machine learning and artificial intelligence.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 highlighted the country’s leadership in shaping the global AI landscape while emphasizing responsible, inclusive, and sustainable technological growth.

(With inputs from ANI)