India to add 20,000 GPUs soon, expand AI compute capacity: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday announced that India will significantly expand its artificial intelligence computing infrastructure by adding 20,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) in the coming weeks, taking the country’s total compute capacity beyond the existing 38,000 GPUs.

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Vaishnaw said the expansion marks the next phase of India’s AI strategy and reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening digital infrastructure and promoting responsible AI development.

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The minister also expressed optimism about future investments, stating that more than $200 billion is expected to flow into India’s technology and AI ecosystem over the next two years.

He noted that venture capital firms are increasingly investing in deep-tech startups and supporting innovation across all five layers of the AI stack, including applications, platforms and core infrastructure.

Highlighting India’s strengths, Vaishnaw said the IT industry remains a key pillar of technological advancement and stressed the need for collaboration among industry, academia and government to manage technological transitions.

He said the government is working simultaneously on reskilling and upskilling the current workforce, building a future-ready talent pipeline and preparing younger generations for emerging technologies.

Referring to energy capacity, the minister pointed out that India has a competitive advantage as over 50 per cent of its installed power generation capacity — about 51 per cent — comes from clean energy sources. He added that the Future Skills programme, launched three years ago, is now being leveraged to support AI-focused reskilling initiatives.

Vaishnaw said the Ministry of Education and the All India Council for Technical Education are revising academic curricula to align with evolving technological requirements and equip students with relevant skills.

On semiconductor development, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the India Semiconductor Mission and said design innovation would be a central focus of its next phase. He projected that at least 50 deep-tech startups are likely to emerge as India strengthens its semiconductor and AI ecosystem.

The minister also highlighted sustainability efforts, including investments in clean energy to power AI data centres and research aimed at reducing power and water consumption. Emerging innovations, he said, could reduce AI infrastructure energy use by up to 35 per cent, supporting environmentally responsible growth.