India AI Impact Summit draws $250 billion in infrastructure pledges, says IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

The India AI Impact Summit has secured investment commitments worth more than $250 billion for infrastructure, Union information technology (IT) minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on 20 February.
 
During a press conference on the penultimate day of the summit, Vaishnaw said that as many as 70 countries have signed the Delhi Declaration so far, with negotiations under way to bring additional nations on board.

“Seventy countries are already on board as signatories to the Delhi declaration, and discussions are on with many others,” he said, adding that the number of endorsing nations is expected to exceed 80 by the time the event concludes on 21 February.

Vaishnaw added that details of the Delhi Declaration would be released publicly on 21 February. 

Vaishnaw termed the summit as a “grand success”, citing attendance of more than 500,000 visitors and participation from investors, global tech firms and startups.

He said the government would soon begin work on the next phase of its national AI strategy.

“Our journey so far has been meaningful and methodical, working through layers of theAI stack and creating that foundational level of work,” Vaishnaw said. 

The government plans to launch AI Mission 2.0, which will focus on developing advanced models, shared computing infrastructure and safety frameworks to strengthen domestic capabilities across the AI value chain.

The minister said the country is also building institutional capacity for AI safety through 12 specialised institutes working on standards and governance.

On the semiconductor front, Vaishnaw said the foundation stone for a new chip plant in Uttar Pradesh would be laid soon, while commercial production at Micron Technology’s facility is scheduled to begin on February 28.