US-India partnership critical for future of AI: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

Google's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sundar Pichai, on Friday said the United States (US)-India partnership has a "critical role to play" in shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI).

Delivering the keynote address at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Pichai said, "We are on the cusp of an era of hyper progress and new discoveries. The best outcomes are not guaranteed. We must work together to ensure the benefits of AI are available to everyone and everywhere".

He added that Google is proud to serve as a connection point between the two countries, with teams across India and the US working together on major initiatives. "I believe India is going to have an extraordinary trajectory with AI, and we are supporting with full-stack commitment, including products, skilling and infrastructure," Pichai said.

Further elaborating on it, Pichai said that Google is building AI solutions for Indian consumers and businesses and has contributed 22 Gemma models to AI Coach. The company is working with the government on real-world applications, including timely monsoon forecasts, disease screening, and expanding access to information in more Indian languages, he added.

"Indian users are amongst the highest adopters of voice and visual search globally," he said, adding that scam detection features such as 'Circle to Search' and 'Lens' are used in India more than anywhere else.

On skilling, he said Google’s AI Skill House aims to equip 10 million future Indian leaders. Earlier this week, the tech giant also announced a partnership with Wadhwani AI to give early-career students access to AI training.

Pichai highlighted Google’s $15 billion investment in Indian infrastructure announced last year, centred on an AI hub in Visakhapatnam with gigawatt-scale compute capacity. "Building on this, we recently announced the India America connect initiative, which will deliver new subsea cable routes to connect the US, India and multiple locations across the southern hemisphere. Combined with our existing cable systems, this initiative will significantly expand the digital trade routes and serve as a literal bridge between our two countries," he said.

Pichai said such initiatives depend on stable supply chains, with Pax Silica aimed at keeping them secure and boosting commercial partnerships in key technologies. Pax Silica is a silicon supply chain initiative comprising US allies aimed at tackling China's growing AI capabilities. Earlier today, India signed a declaration to join the alliance.