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India Pulse | February 19, 2026: Your Daily Digest of India's Governance, Progress, and Vision
The India Pulse Newsletter for February 19, 2026 covers India unveiling New Delhi Frontier AI Commitments, new repository mapping over 110 AI startups delivering population-scale impact across India, Sam Altman stating democratisation of AI as safe path forward, global tech CEOs defining AI’s responsible future, Sundar Pichai visiting Bharat GI Coffee Lounge, India-AI Impact Summit Day Five to host top global tech voices, India-Sweden reaffirming green tech and R&D cooperation under India-EU FTA framework, Amit Shah to launch Vibrant Villages Programme-II in Assam’s Cachar District, DRDO conducting successful qualification test for Gaganyaan drogue parachute, and Rajnath Singh inaugurating 13th edition of Exercise MILAN-2026.
NEWS IN DETAIL
India Unveils New Delhi Frontier AI Commitments
At the opening ceremony of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments, a landmark outcome of the summit that brings together leading frontier AI companies and India’s domestic innovators to advance inclusive and responsible artificial intelligence.
The voluntary commitments reflect a shared vision to ensure that the development and deployment of AI systems are aligned with equity, cultural diversity, and real-world needs, particularly across the Global South. Participating organizations include India-based innovators such as Sarvam, BharatGen, Gnani.ai, and Soket, alongside global frontier AI firms.
The first commitment, “Advancing Understanding of Real-World AI Usage” focuses on real-world AI usage through anonymized and aggregated insights. Participating organizations will work to generate evidence that supports policymaking on the impact of AI on jobs, skills, productivity, and economic transformation.
By enabling data-driven analysis of how AI is being deployed across sectors, the initiative aims to help governments and institutions craft informed strategies that maximize benefits while mitigating risks associated with technological change.
The second commitment, “Strengthening Multilingual and Contextual Evaluations” centers on efforts to ensure effectiveness of AI systems across languages, cultures, and real-world use cases. Organizations will collaborate with governments and local ecosystems to develop datasets, benchmarks, and expertise that support evaluation in under-represented languages and cultural contexts.
This effort will improve AI performance for diverse populations and help democratize access to high-quality AI experiences globally, while preserving flexibility in the choice of tools and evaluation methodologies.
New Repository Maps 110+ AI Startups Delivering Population-Scale Impact Across India
India’s AI Impact Startups, released at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, profiles 110 startups and non-profits deploying artificial intelligence for population-scale social and economic impact. Published by IndiaAI and Kalpa Impact, the repository spans sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education, climate, financial inclusion, urban mobility, and public service delivery.
The repository is the first structured mapping of India’s AI-for-impact ecosystem, documenting how Indian founders are building solutions that are local in design and global in relevance. The analysis reveals an ecosystem that is simultaneously experimenting and consolidating, with voice AI and vernacular interfaces emerging as the primary channel for reaching underserved populations, and a growing cohort of builders investing in Made-in-India foundation models. It serves as a reference for policymakers seeking integration-ready AI capabilities, for investors identifying ventures with technical maturity and scalability, and for the global development community looking at replicable models from the Global South.
The repository was researched and compiled by the Kalpa Impact team.
Democratisation Of AI Safe Path Forward: Sam Altman
Global Tech Leaders Outline a Democratic, Inclusive AI Future in India AI Impact Summit 2026
As part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, keynote addresses by Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI; Brad Smith, Vice Chair & President, Microsoft; Ankur Vora, President, Africa and India Offices, Gates Foundation; and Julie Sweet, Chair & CEO, Accenture, underscored the transformative potential of artificial intelligence while emphasizing democratization, inclusion, global standards and human-led reinvention.
Sam Altman highlighted both the extraordinary pace of technological advancement and India’s growing role in shaping its trajectory, stating, “On our current trajectory, we believe we may be only a couple of years away from early versions of true super intelligence. If we are right, by the end of 2028, more of the world’s intellectual capacity could reside inside of data centers than outside of it.”
Stressing the importance of openness and societal resilience, he added, “Democratization of AI is the only fair and safe path forward. Democratization of AI is the best way to ensure that humanity flourishes.”
Brad Smith framed AI as a decisive force in addressing the global technology divide, noting, “AI, perhaps more than any other technology this century, will play a decisive role in either closing this economic divide or exacerbating it. That is the single most important question for us today: How can we do better?”
He emphasized infrastructure, skilling and linguistic diversity as essential to ensuring that AI serves the Global South and translates into broad-based prosperity.
Ankur Vora focused on AI’s potential to accelerate health, education and agricultural outcomes, asserting, “Many people predict that AI will help the world be better for everyone. Others predict it will only benefit the privileged few. But the fact is, it’s not a matter of prediction. It’s a choice.”
Announcing new philanthropic initiatives, he underscored that the true measure of AI will be whether it tangibly improves lives across communities that have historically been left behind.
Julie Sweet called for reinvention across companies, governments and individuals, stating, “Using AI as an engine for growth is the only path for global prosperity, for all.”
She emphasized that sustainable progress will require leadership, global standards, workforce transformation and a commitment to ensuring that AI drives growth while keeping humans firmly in the lead.
Global Tech CEOs Define AI’s Responsible Future
As part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, keynote addresses by Nikesh Arora, CEO, Palo Alto Networks; Roshni Nadar, Chairperson, HCLTech; Lars Reger, CTO, NXP Semiconductors; and Amit Zavery, President, CPO and COO, ServiceNow, examined how artificial intelligence is entering a decisive phase — one defined not only by rapid innovation, but by the urgent need for trust, security, governance, and scalable infrastructure.
Nikesh Arora framed AI as the fastest technological shift in modern history, cautioning that innovation today is outpacing institutional readiness.
“AI will not go away. It cannot be governed out of existence,” he noted. “The real question is whether we can build trust as fast as we build capability.”
Highlighting the rise of autonomous, agentic systems, he added, “If AI can act independently, then governance, accountability, and security cannot be afterthoughts. They must be foundational.”
Roshni Nadar positioned AI as a structural economic inflection point for India and the world. Arguing that knowledge itself is becoming programmable, she said, “In the AI era, advantage will not come from scale alone. It will come from ownership, of platforms, of intellectual property, of innovation.”
Calling for a strategic shift, she added, “India must move from being a services powerhouse to becoming an IP powerhouse. Services scale with effort; intellectual property compounds without limits.”
Lars Reger underscored the importance of embedding intelligence directly into devices and physical systems.
“The future of AI is not only in massive data centres,” he observed. “It is at the edge—inside vehicles, factories, medical devices, and infrastructure.”
Stressing safety and cybersecurity, he remarked, “Without trust at the device level, AI adoption will stall. Functional safety and security are not optional features, they are prerequisites.”
Amit Zavery focused on operationalising AI at scale. Highlighting the gap between experimentation and deployment, he stated, “Many organisations are piloting AI, but scaling it requires governance, visibility, and control built into the platform.”
Emphasising integration over add-ons, he added, “Security cannot sit beside AI. It must be embedded within it, from design to deployment.”
Sundar Pichai Visits Bharat GI Coffee Lounge
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai visited the Bharat GI Coffee Lounge, organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
During the visit, Mr. Pichai interacted with baristas and experienced the rich flavours of India’s premium GI-tagged coffees. Alongside, delegates from Finland, France, Japan, Nigeria, Botswana, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Poland and Germany, among many others, also visited the Coffee Experience Centre.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has unveiled Bharat GI as a unified national intellectual property brand. The coffee experience centre is attracting visitors to explore and experience various Indian GI-registered coffees.
India-AI Impact Summit Day Five To Host Top Global Tech Voices
Day 5 of the India-AI Impact Summit on February 20, 2026, will witness some of the biggest voices in global technology and geopolitics, as world leaders, tech CEOs, and policymakers converge to chart the future of artificial intelligence.
Friday’s sessions include discussions on the future of Artificial Intelligence in the Indian education system, enterprise transformation, shared infrastructure for innovation, scaling intelligence for food and climate resilience, and many others.
During the five-day summit, over 500 sessions are ongoing, featuring more than 3,250 speakers and panelists. The summit reflects New Delhi’s vision of promoting AI that is inclusive, responsible, and transformative.
India, Sweden Reaffirm Commitment To Green Tech And R&D Cooperation Under India-EU FTA Framework
India and Sweden have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in green tech, research and development and advancing engagement under the India-EU FTA framework.
During a meeting with Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch in New Delhi, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal highlighted India’s rise as a premier global investment destination backed by a vast market and an investor-friendly Foreign Direct Investment ecosystem.
Mr Goyal said, India’s skilled youth and Sweden’s innovation strength make them natural partners for sustainable growth.
The Commerce and Industry Minister also met Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The leaders discussed how the India-EU Trade Deal presents significant opportunities for both the countries to collaborate across key sectors, including services, technology and green energy, further strengthening India-Finland trade and investment ties.
Amit Shah To Launch Vibrant Villages Programme-II In Assam’s Cachar District
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch the Vibrant Villages Programme-II in the Cachar district of Assam on February 20, 2026.
The programme focuses on improving border villages and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, fostering secure border communities in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. The scheme is worth more than six thousand eight hundred crore rupees for the financial year up to 2028-29.
The programme is to be implemented across 15 States and 2 Union Territories across the country through a saturation-based and convergence-driven approach. By strengthening these villages, the programme also aims to enable residents to act as the eyes and ears of the nation, thereby contributing significantly to border security, preventing cross-border crimes and strengthening internal security.
The Union Home Minister will also visit the BSF’s Natunpur border outpost along the India-Bangladesh border and will review the security arrangements and the progress of border fencing. He will also address a BJP rally, launching the party’s election campaign in the Barak Valley. Mr. Shah will then visit Agartala in Tripura and return to Assam in the evening.
DRDO Conducts Successful Qualification Test For Gaganyaan Drogue Parachute
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted a successful qualification-level load test of the Drogue Parachute for the Gaganyaan programme in Chandigarh. The Ministry of Defence said that the dynamic test, simulating qualification-level loads which are higher than the maximum flight loads, shows the additional design safety margin of the parachute.
The test was conducted on February 18, 2026 with the Indian Space Research Organisation, Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, and DRDO, alongside various TBRL’s dedicated teams. The Ministry said that the test proves the country’s expertise in designing and manufacturing high-strength ribbon parachutes.
Lauding the Defence Research and Development Organisation, ISRO and Industry on the successful qualification test for the Gaganyaan Drogue Parachute, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the test is another big step in furthering the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Rajnath Singh Inaugurates 13th Edition Of Exercise MILAN-2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 13th edition of Exercise MILAN-2026 at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, marking the start of the premier multilateral naval exercise.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Singh said, this edition reflects the global maritime community’s confidence in India as a trusted and responsible maritime partner.
He said, this year, with the participation of 74 nations, MILAN 2026 stands as the largest and most inclusive edition to date, a reflection of the confidence of the global maritime community.
He said the exercise has grown from a regional initiative to one of the world’s prominent naval engagements, reflecting the country’s steady and credible maritime outreach. He said the exercise aims to enhance interoperability among participating navies, strengthen professional competence through the exchange of best practices, and deepen bonds of friendship.
He said that joint exercises, professional exchanges and cultural interactions during MILAN would foster mutual trust and enable coordinated responses to common challenges.
Earlier, the Defence Minister reviewed the preparedness for the MILAN exercise with senior naval officials.
MILAN 2026 is being conducted under the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. Navies from 74 friendly foreign countries are participating, gaining valuable experience in large-scale multilateral operations and strengthening cooperation at sea.