India Set to Make Global Headlines in February, Poised to Lead the Global South in AI

India is gearing up for a major achievement this February, emerging as a key leader in artificial intelligence (AI) for the Global South.

According to Stanford University’s Global AI Vibrancy Tool, India has risen to become the third most competitive country in AI worldwide, following the United States and China. This ranking highlights India’s rapidly growing technology ecosystem and strong talent base, positioning the nation as a significant player in the global AI race.

Surpassing Advanced Economies

The visual chart by Visual Capitalist, based on Stanford data, shows that the United States leads with a vibrancy score of 78.6, followed by China at 36.95, and India at 21.59. India’s performance surpasses several advanced economies, including South Korea, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Germany, and France.

Hosting the India AI Impact Summit 2026

India will host the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on 19–20 February in New Delhi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to inaugurate the event. The summit aims to establish shared AI standards and promote consensus among nations on responsible AI use. Currently, AI standards are being developed in 38 multilateral committees, including several UN bodies.

Over 100 CEOs from countries including the US, China, and others will participate, alongside representatives from the Global South. An official from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology noted that India has already contributed to many of these discussions, consolidating inputs from Indian ministries and agencies to strengthen the country’s approach to developing AI standards.

Three Core Principles of the Summit

The summit will focus on three foundational principles, implemented over seven thematic cycles:

1. Ensuring equitable distribution of AI benefits.
2. Democratizing access to datasets, computing resources, and AI models.
3. Promoting AI applications in healthcare, education, governance, and agriculture.

Open-Source AI for Key Sectors

India is also working with the global community to create an open-source repository of AI use cases for healthcare, agriculture, and education. The initiative aims to deploy AI tools responsibly across the Global South, while democratizing access to algorithms, datasets, and computing resources. India plans to roll out a set of open-access AI tools to promote ethical and accountable AI deployment worldwide.

Global Preparations in 2024–25

At the end of 2024, inter-parliamentary bodies issued guidelines on AI, providing lawmakers with a framework to implement AI responsibly. During 2024–25, under the leadership of Brazil and South Africa, the G20 endorsed a UNESCO-led toolkit for public sector AI use, ensuring a global standard for human rights in government AI applications. Meanwhile, the G7 finalized its international code of conduct for organizations developing advanced AI systems.

India Poised to Lead the Global South

The Global South comprises developing, less-developed, and least-developed countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. With India’s rapid strides in AI, it is positioned to emerge as a leader for this group, potentially reshaping global dynamics. This rise may challenge the dominance of the US-led developed nations and European powers, who are wary of a stronger, united Global South in AI leadership.