AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi: From pilot projects to boardroom priority

The AI Impact Summit in New Delhi from 16th to 20th February comes at a decisive moment for India’s enterprise AI journey. For years, many organisations have experimented in pockets. Small pilots. Isolated use cases. Innovation labs that rarely touch the core business.

Now the mood is different.

Across BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare and the public sector, AI is moving from curiosity to commitment. The conversations ahead of the summit reflect this shift clearly. Confidence is rising. Expectations are sharper. And the focus is firmly on outcomes.

This summit is not just another industry gathering. It signals intent at a national level. That changes behaviour in boardrooms.

Confidence first, acceleration next

Jasmeet S. Bajaj, MIEUX TECHNOLOGIES, captures the underlying sentiment in the market.

“When AI is positioned as a national priority and endorsed at the highest level, enterprise hesitation drops. Indian organisations, especially in BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare, and government-linked sectors, have been waiting for clarity around governance, data sovereignty, and long-term direction. This event provides that anchor.”

That word stands out. Anchor.

For CIOs and CTOs I have spoken to over the years, uncertainty has always been the brake. Not the technology. Not even the budget. But policy clarity. Data rules. Regulatory direction. No one wants to scale something that might need to be rolled back.

The summit appears to provide that missing layer of assurance.

Jasmeet adds, “Adoption will accelerate in practical areas: productivity copilots, automation of internal processes, and AI embedded into existing platforms like ERP, CRM, analytics, and security. Indian enterprises are unlikely to pursue flashy greenfield AI projects. They will prioritise AI that improves efficiency, reduces cost, and delivers visible ROI. This mirrors global trends, where AI spend is moving out of pilot budgets and into core IT and operations budgets.”

That is a mature shift.

Not experimentation. Integration.
Not hype. Measurable ROI.

For Indian enterprises, this means three immediate focus areas:

• Embedding AI into existing ERP and CRM platforms rather than building from scratch

• Automating repetitive internal processes across finance, HR and operations

• Using copilots to improve productivity without disrupting core systems

This is pragmatic AI. And it is exactly how large enterprises scale technology responsibly.

AI and the changing channel equation

If enterprise adoption is accelerating, the partner ecosystem will not remain untouched.

Jasmeet is direct about this transition.

“For channel partners, AI changes the value equation. Resale-led models will weaken further. The real opportunity sits in services around AI integration, orchestration, and governance.”

That is a big statement.

For decades, many partners depended heavily on product margins. AI compresses that advantage. Enterprises now want fewer tools and more control.

“Enterprises want fewer tools and more control. MSPs, ISVs, and system integrators who can embed AI into business workflows, manage risk, and ensure compliance will become strategic partners. Managed AI services such as model monitoring, cost optimisation, security, and compliance reporting will emerge as recurring revenue streams. Verticalised AI solutions tailored to Indian industry needs will create the strongest differentiation.”

And then the line that every partner should read twice.

“In short, services will dominate over product margins faster than most partners expect.”

This is not theoretical. It is structural.

The channel will need to build AI architecture capabilities, strengthen Cloud and security integration skills, develop governance expertise covering explainability and privacy and create vertical-specific AI offerings

There is another point Jasmeet makes which many overlook.

“Partners must also use AI internally. Those who automate their own operations, support, and sales with AI will be far more credible in front of customers.”

Credibility matters. If you sell AI but operate manually, clients notice.

From pilots to purposeful scale

Navtez Bal, VP & General Manager, Red Hat, India & South Asia, frames the broader shift in enterprise mindset.

"AI adoption in India is entering a decisive phase, moving from isolated pilots to purposeful, enterprise-wide deployments. Organisations are now focused on embedding AI into core systems and workflows to deliver measurable business outcomes, rather than treating it as experimentation. India’s digital public infrastructure, including Aadhaar and UPI, provides the scale and foundation for AI to create meaningful impact across industries such as financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing. In parallel, there is a growing emphasis on sovereign AI where open source can play a critical role in enabling organisations to scale AI responsibly - optimising cost, performance, and control without sacrificing capability.

As AI adoption accelerates, the priority is building strong foundations: robust data platforms, secure and interoperable infrastructure, and the skills to operationalise AI responsibly. Hybrid cloud is central to this shift, enabling innovation while maintaining governance and scalability. Success in this next phase will depend on giving organisations the flexibility to deploy any model, on any accelerator, across any cloud, powered by open source, ensuring resilience, transparency, and long-term value.”

Two important themes emerge here.

First, infrastructure matters as much as algorithms. Without strong data platforms and interoperable systems, AI will stall.

Second, flexibility is becoming non-negotiable. Enterprises do not want to be locked into one model, one accelerator or one Cloud. Hybrid strategies are no longer defensive. They are strategic.

Data scale and executive clarity

Hemant Tiwari, MD, India & SAARC Region, Hitachi Vantara, highlights how far Indian enterprises have already travelled.

“India has emerged as one of the most dynamic markets for enterprise AI adoption, with organisations moving decisively from experimentation to scale. Our latest research shows that 89 per cent of Indian organisations have either widely adopted AI or made it critical to their operations, well ahead of global peers. Importantly, nearly two-thirds of enterprises in India already report strong or established returns on investment from AI, reflecting a shift toward outcome-driven and value-focused deployments.

As AI usage expands across industries, the scale at which data is being generated and managed is also increasing. Today, four in ten organisations in India already manage between 50 and 200 petabytes of data, highlighting the maturity and ambition of the country’s AI ecosystem.

What stands out in India is the clarity of leadership and execution. More than 80 per cent of organisations report a clearly defined executive vision for AI, nearly 79 per cent have dedicated AI or machine learning teams, and over 75 per cent have established clear KPIs tied to business outcomes. This alignment is helping enterprises translate AI into productivity gains, smarter decision-making, and scalable innovation across both enterprise and public sector use cases.

As India prepares for the next phase of AI growth, sustained success will come from strengthening data foundations, simplifying operations, and embedding security and governance by design. With the right focus, AI will continue to be a powerful catalyst for innovation, resilience, and long-term value creation across India’s digital economy.”

The numbers tell that 89 per cent have widely adopted AI or made it critical. Nearly two-thirds see strong or established ROI Four in ten manage between 50 and 200 petabytes of data, and over 80 per cent have executive vision and clear KPIs

This is not early-stage enthusiasm. It is an operational commitment.

What this summit really means

For the seasoned IT leader reading this, the signal is clear.

AI in India is moving into its execution phase.

The AI Impact Summit in New Delhi will likely reinforce the realities around Governance clarity will reduce hesitation, services-led models will define partner success, and infrastructure, data and executive alignment will determine scale.

The conversation has matured. We are no longer asking whether AI will matter. We are asking how to scale it responsibly, profitably and securely.

For enterprises, the task is straightforward but demanding. Build strong foundations. Focus on ROI. Align leadership, data and infrastructure.

For partners, the message is sharper. Move beyond resale. Invest in applied AI skills. Use AI internally. Lead with services.

The next phase of India’s AI journey will not be driven by hype. It will be driven by discipline. And that is a good sign.

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