India AI Impact Summit 2026: Demis Hassabis says India set to be ‘powerhouse’ in AI as Google DeepMind expands research partnerships
AI Impact Summit 2026: Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Hassabis said he was struck by the scale of talent and momentum during recent visits to Indian institutions and technology hubs
- Feb 19, 2026,
- Updated Feb 19, 2026 12:37 PM IST
India AI Impact Summit 2026 | Demis Hassabis, chief executive of Google DeepMind, said on 19 February that India is set to become a global “powerhouse” in artificial intelligence, highlighting deepening collaborations with the government, academia and industry as the company expands research and education initiatives in the country.
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Hassabis said he was struck by the scale of talent and momentum during recent visits to Indian institutions and technology hubs, including the company’s large research centre in Bengaluru.
“I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen in India,” he said. “We have a really big office there in Bengaluru, a great research office where we do some really critical research … in areas like efficient models, continual learning, and multilingual capabilities.”
Hassabis added that a visit to the Indian Institute of Science left him encouraged about the country’s role in shaping the future of AI.
“I was incredibly impressed by the students and the faculty there — their enthusiasm and their energy for AI, and their ideas for how to use AI to improve India’s standing in the world,” he said. “It’s incredibly impressive to see the energy around the country.”
He said this momentum could position India as a central player in the global AI ecosystem.
“I think India will be a powerhouse to AI," Hassabis said.
The comments come as Google DeepMind announced partnerships with Indian government agencies and educational institutions to deploy AI tools for scientific research and learning, including providing advanced models to researchers and students.
The company also plans to support innovation hubs in schools through programmes such as Atal Tinkering Labs to integrate generative AI into classrooms with safety safeguards.
Hassabis highlighted commercial collaborations as well, including work with conglomerate Reliance Industries.
“I’m especially proud of our deep partnership with Mr Mukesh Ambani and Reliance Jio to bring intelligence to everyone in India, with our Gemini foundation models in partnership with Reliance,” he said.
AGI on the horizon
Beyond India, Hassabis framed AI as a transformative technology comparable to the biggest milestones in human history, saying advances toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) are accelerating rapidly.
“AGI … is on the horizon, maybe within the next five years,” he said, describing general-purpose AI systems as becoming “increasingly capable, almost week by week.”
He warned that the coming changes could be both unprecedented and fast-moving.
“I think it’s going to be one of the most momentous periods in human history, probably something more like the advent of fire or electricity,” Hassabis said. “Something like 10 times the impact of the Industrial Revolution, but happening at 10 times the speed.”
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India AI Impact Summit 2026 | Demis Hassabis, chief executive of Google DeepMind, said on 19 February that India is set to become a global “powerhouse” in artificial intelligence, highlighting deepening collaborations with the government, academia and industry as the company expands research and education initiatives in the country.
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Hassabis said he was struck by the scale of talent and momentum during recent visits to Indian institutions and technology hubs, including the company’s large research centre in Bengaluru.
“I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen in India,” he said. “We have a really big office there in Bengaluru, a great research office where we do some really critical research … in areas like efficient models, continual learning, and multilingual capabilities.”
Hassabis added that a visit to the Indian Institute of Science left him encouraged about the country’s role in shaping the future of AI.
“I was incredibly impressed by the students and the faculty there — their enthusiasm and their energy for AI, and their ideas for how to use AI to improve India’s standing in the world,” he said. “It’s incredibly impressive to see the energy around the country.”
He said this momentum could position India as a central player in the global AI ecosystem.
“I think India will be a powerhouse to AI," Hassabis said.
The comments come as Google DeepMind announced partnerships with Indian government agencies and educational institutions to deploy AI tools for scientific research and learning, including providing advanced models to researchers and students.
The company also plans to support innovation hubs in schools through programmes such as Atal Tinkering Labs to integrate generative AI into classrooms with safety safeguards.
Hassabis highlighted commercial collaborations as well, including work with conglomerate Reliance Industries.
“I’m especially proud of our deep partnership with Mr Mukesh Ambani and Reliance Jio to bring intelligence to everyone in India, with our Gemini foundation models in partnership with Reliance,” he said.
AGI on the horizon
Beyond India, Hassabis framed AI as a transformative technology comparable to the biggest milestones in human history, saying advances toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) are accelerating rapidly.
“AGI … is on the horizon, maybe within the next five years,” he said, describing general-purpose AI systems as becoming “increasingly capable, almost week by week.”
He warned that the coming changes could be both unprecedented and fast-moving.
“I think it’s going to be one of the most momentous periods in human history, probably something more like the advent of fire or electricity,” Hassabis said. “Something like 10 times the impact of the Industrial Revolution, but happening at 10 times the speed.”
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine