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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know News India Times (February 21, 2026 - February 27, 2026) February 27, 2026 26 India AI Impact Summit 2026 “No Better Place Than India To Discuss AI Transformation, ” Says Rishi Sunak, Keynote Speaker At AI Summit F ormer UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak onThursday (February 19, 2026) called India the ideal venue for shaping the future of artificial intel- ligence (AI), and said there was “no better place” to deliberate on the global AI transformation, highlighting the country’s digital public infrastructure, innovation ecosystem and public optimism around the technology. While addressing the AI Impact Summit as a keynote Speaker here, he said India was uniquely positioned to drive the next phase of AI’s global journey, not just for developed nations, but for the developing world as well. “We do need a regular forum, where we can all meet and discuss this technology, and that is what this Summit provides under Prime Modi’s leadership.” he said adding that the summit would show how AI can improve health and education “in every corner of the globe” and enhance human dignity. Sunak emphasised that AI safety and AI progress go hand in hand. According to him, public trust will ultimately determine AI’s success, particularly in the public sector, where citizens can directly experi- ence faster services, better healthcare and simpler government interactions. “The debate about AI becomes real rather than abstract when people see tan- gible improvements in their lives,” he said. “From the invention of the telephone, it took around 75 years to get to 100 million users; it took the PC 15 years, the internet 7 years, so how long did it take ChatGPT, two months,” he said, adding, “We do need a regular forum where we can meet and discuss this technology.” Placing India at the centre of the global AI narrative, Sunak praised the country’s digital public infrastructure, includ- ing Aadhaar, UPI and Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts, as foundational systems capable of delivering AI-powered services to 1.4 billion people. “The India Stack has shown people how technology can benefit them in their everyday lives,” he said, adding that Indians are among the world’s most prolific users of mobile data and AI tools and are the second-largest contribu- tors to AI projects globally. He also lauded India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, noting that the country has- produced over 125 unicorns, with compa- nies such as ‘Sarvam AI’ emerging as leaders in the space. Referring to India’s culture of frugal in- novation, Sunak said it enables ambitious achievements at lower costs, citing the country’s space missions as an example. He stressed that public confidence is critical for AI adoption and observed that, unlike growing pessimism in parts of theWest, nearly nine out of ten Indians remain optimistic about AI. -ANI PHOTO:ANI Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, addressing the India AI Impact Summit February 19, 2026. Mumbai To Host UK Prince William’s Annual Environment Award In 2026 Dr Reddy’s Aims To Launch Generic Obesity Drug At 60% Discount Canada’s PM Carney To Visit India In Early March, Ontario Minister Says I ndia’s Mumbai will host the annual environment award of Britain’s PrinceWilliam in 2026, the Earthshot Prize organizers said in a statement on Tuesday (Feb. 17, 2026), as the city kicked off its first climate summit. The Earthshot Prize, founded in 2020, honors five winners with £1 million ($1.36 million) each to scale solutions aimed at repairing the planet. “India is one of the world’s most important forces for climate and nature. What succeeds in India at scale has the power to inspire progress everywhere,” PrinceWilliam said in the state- ment. India is the world’s third-larg- est emitter and has been dealing with worsening air quality in its top cities as well as climate- change linked adverse weather events. It has accelerated climate initiatives in recent years, pledg- ing net-zero by 2070. The Earthshot announcement took place at Mumbai Climate Week, where former U.S. Secre- tary of State Hillary Clinton and senior United Nations officials are among those attending. -R euters I ndian drugmaker Dr Reddy’s labo- ratories aims to launch a generic version of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight loss drugWegovy, subject to approval, at a price about 60% lower than the branded version, co-chairman and managing director GV Prasad told Reuters on Tuesday. The company last month received an approval from India’s drug regulator to manufacture and sell the generic version of blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic and said it was awaiting approval forWegovy. -R euters C anadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit New Delhi in early March to work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the framework for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, Canadian official Victor Fedeli said on Monday. Carney is making all-out efforts to diversify Canada’s alliances beyond the United States, its top trade partner, after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canada. Carney is also resetting relations with India after his predecessor as prime min- ister, Justin Trudeau, accused the Indian government of involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in 2023. India has denied those claims. *Carney will likely be in India on March 1-2, says Fedeli, who is the minister of economic development, job creation and trade for Canada’s Ontario province. *Canada’s federal government has al- ready taken input from provinces includ- ing Ontario, paving the way for successful talks, minister says. *Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Carney agreed in November on the sidelines of G20 meeting to start talks on a trade pact, aiming to double bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030. *Fedeli is visiting New Delhi to partici- pate in the AI-focused global summit and to attract Indian companies to invest in Ontario. *Trade between Ontario and India has grown 60% since 2018, with Indian com- panies like HCL, Paytm and Tata Consul- tancy, establishing a strong presence, he says.Wegovy. -R euters By Rishika Sadam and Sriparna Roy India PHOTO: JUSTINTALLIS/POOLVIA REUTERS PHOTO:REUTERS/FRANCIS MASCARENHAS Prince William, Prince of Wales, founder and president of The Earthshot Prize, delivers a speech during the ‘Investing for Impact’ event at The Guildhall in London June 26, 2025. A woman walks past the logo of the Mumbai Climate Week in Mumbai, India, February 17, 2026.