Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a significant bilateral meeting with Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm, on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

The encounter took place at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday, 20 February 2026, underscoring India's deepening ties with global technology leaders.

This discussion followed Amon's keynote address at the summit, where he elaborated on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in reshaping mobile devices. He emphasised that AI would fundamentally alter perceptions of smartphones, positioning them as indispensable tools in an evolving technological landscape.

Amon highlighted Qualcomm's pioneering efforts in developing hardware and software tailored for AI integration across diverse devices. From low-power chips consuming under 2 milliwatts for smart earbuds to high-capacity 2000-watt processors for data centres, the company spans the spectrum of AI-enabled innovation.

He foresaw a revolution in industrial robotics, which would redefine the role of mobile devices in everyday life. Smartphones, already viewed as inseparable companions, would evolve further amid these advancements, he noted.

Turning to India specifically, Amon praised the nation as an emerging global manufacturing hub with immense opportunities. This aligns with India's push towards self-reliance in technology production, particularly in semiconductors and AI hardware.

On telecommunications, Amon described the sector as on the cusp of its next major transformation with the advent of 6G networks. These would transcend mere connectivity enhancements, incorporating AI-native architectures and large-scale sensing capabilities, with AI at their core.

The meeting with Modi builds on earlier high-level interactions at the summit. On Wednesday, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan hosted Amon and Qualcomm's senior management team at Uprashtrapati Bhavan.

Discussions during the Vice President's meeting focused on breakthroughs in AI and semiconductors, and their burgeoning importance to India's digital ecosystem. This reflects a coordinated governmental approach to leveraging such technologies for national growth.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, hosted from 16 to 20 February, convenes global leaders and institutions. It embodies India's commitment to multilateral collaboration, harnessing AI to tackle worldwide challenges while fostering shared prosperity.

Anchored in three foundational principles—People, Planet, and Progress—the summit promotes ethical AI deployment for societal benefit, environmental sustainability, and economic advancement. Such engagements signal India's ambition to lead in the global AI race.

These interactions with Qualcomm's leadership could pave the way for expanded investments in India, bolstering domestic chip manufacturing and AI infrastructure. As 6G and AI converge, partnerships like these will be pivotal for India's technological sovereignty.

ANI