US-India partnership has critical role to play to make AI benefits available to everyone: Sundar Pichai
Google CEO Sundar Pichai's address follows his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the two discussed accelerating India’s AI ambitions and deepening Google’s role in talent development, digital infrastructure, and sectoral transformation.
The US-India partnership has a critical role to play in making the benefits of AI available to everyone and everywhere, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc, said on Friday.
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 ahead of India and the US signing the PAX SILICA declaration, he said Google is proud to serve as a connection point between the two countries, "both figuratively and literally".
The summit is said to have drawn a high-profile gathering, including more than 20 heads of state, 60 ministers, and around 500 global AI leaders.
"Yesterday, at the opening session, I shared some thoughts on this profound moment of AI. I said we are on the cusp of an era of hyper progress and new discoveries, but the best outcomes are not guaranteed," Pichai said.
His address follows a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, where the two discussed accelerating India’s artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions and deepening Google’s role in talent development, digital infrastructure, and sectoral transformation.
He added, "We must work together to ensure the benefits of AI are available to everyone and everywhere. The US-India partnership has a critical role to play." The engagement reflects growing collaboration between governments and major technology firms in shaping AI governance, regulation, and responsible deployment.
"Google is proud to serve as a connection point between them, both figuratively and literally," he added.
In a post on X regarding their Wednesday meeting, PM Modi stated, "Talked about the work India is doing in AI and how Google can work with our talented students and professionals in this field." Pichai replied that they discussed helping with the Prime Minister's "mission to infuse AI at all levels in India to improve health, expand access to information in all languages, support startups, agriculture and so much more."
Elaborating, he said, "We have teams across both countries working seamlessly together on some of our most important initiatives, innovations that start in India, like Google Pay are making products better for people all over the world." At the summit's India AI Impact Expo, cross-border cooperation in AI is being highlighted by 13 international pavilions, alongside over 600 emerging startups displaying cutting-edge innovations.
Bullish on India, Pichai said, "I believe India is going to have an extraordinary trajectory with AI, and we are supporting it with a full-stack commitment, including product scaling and infrastructure."
The meeting comes as India positions itself as a global AI hub, investing in domestic compute infrastructure, sovereign AI models, and large-scale skilling initiatives aimed at preparing millions for an AI-driven economy. With India’s vast multilingual population and agricultural base, AI applications in language accessibility, precision farming, and healthcare diagnostics are seen as transformative levers for inclusive growth.