New Delhi [India], February 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a series of high-level meetings with global leaders and industry heads on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in the national capital, reinforcing India's leadership in artificial intelligence and deepening bilateral partnerships.

In a post on X, PM Narendra Modi shared details of his meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, focusing on India's rapidly growing AI ecosystem.

'It was a delight to meet Mr. Sundar Pichai on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. Talked about the work India is doing in AI and how Google can work with our talented students and professionals in this field,' PM Narendra Modi stated.

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2024030030024622539?s=20

The Prime Minister also engaged in extensive diplomatic discussions with the Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, highlighting the strategic importance of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

'Held extensive discussions with the Prime Minister of Finland, Mr. Petteri Orpo. Thanked him for his personal support to the India-EU FTA, which ushers in a golden era in India-Europe relations. India and Finland aim to double trade, thus giving a strong boost to economic linkages,' PM Narendra Modi posted on X.

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2024029328393334950?s=20

He further added, 'We also talked about enhancing cooperation in futuristic technologies like 6G, innovation, clean energy, biofuels, circular economy and more.'

Following this, PM Narendra Modi met with the President of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, to explore ways to deepen bilateral ties across multiple sectors.

The Prime Minister shared on X, 'Had a productive meeting with President Pedro Sanchez in Delhi. Discussed ways to boost the India-Spain friendship, especially in areas such as defence, security, technology and more.'

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2024028781036662920?s=20

Highlighting a special milestone for the current year, PM Narendra Modi noted, 'Our nations are marking 2026 as the India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism and AI. This will deepen people-to-people linkages. Glad to see a big delegation of Universities also come to India. This too will go a long way in connecting our people.'

'The historic FTA with the EU will have a very positive impact on the economic partnership with Spain and provide new opportunities to the people of our nations,' PM Narendra Modi added.

These high-profile engagements took place amid the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026, being held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from February 16 to February 20.

The summit has brought together government policymakers, industry AI experts, academicians, technology innovators, and civil society representatives from across the world to advance global discussions on artificial intelligence.

As the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, it aims to reflect on the transformative potential of AI, aligning with India's national vision of 'Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya' (welfare for all, happiness for all) and the global principle of AI for Humanity.

The summit features participation from more than 110 countries and 30 international organizations, including around 20 heads of state or government and about 45 ministers.

It forms part of an evolving international process aimed at strengthening global cooperation on the governance, safety, and societal impact of AI.

Guided by the three foundational Sutras--People, Planet, and Progress--the India AI Impact Summit 2026 promotes human-centric AI that safeguards rights and ensures equitable benefits across societies, environmentally sustainable advancement of AI, and inclusive economic and technological progress.

Meanwhile, in a special interview with ANI's text service, the Prime Minister spoke about the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence on India's IT industry and the government's strategy to strengthen the sector.

'India's IT sector has been the backbone of our services exports and a key driver of economic growth. AI presents both a tremendous opportunity and a challenge for this sector. AI market projections show India's IT sector could reach $400 billion by 2030, driven by new waves of AI-enabled outsourcing and domain-specific automation,' he said. (ANI)