“IDS'26 : Dr. Manjula. N, Dr. Subho Ray, Srinivasu MN and Biswapriya Bhattacharjee”

The session opened with the inaugural ceremony of the 20th edition of the India Digital Summit (IDS 2026) in Bengaluru, held under the theme "India's AI Moment: Leveraging the Intelligent Economy." Dr. Subho Ray, President, IAMAI, and Srinivasu MN, Chairperson, IAMAI, underscored India's transition from expanding internet access to building a resilient, trusted, and AI-enabled digital ecosystem. Their remarks highlighted the need for responsible AI governance, robust digital infrastructure, and collaborative policymaking to sustain India's leadership in the intelligent economy.

Building on this vision, Dr. Manjula N showcased Karnataka's growing prominence as India's AI innovation hub, outlining initiatives such as the Centre for Applied AI and state-supported accelerators aimed at fostering indigenous research, entrepreneurship, and talent development. The session concluded with Biswapriya Bhattacharjee, Executive Director, Kantar, presenting the latest Internet in India report, which revealed that the country now has nearly 958 million internet users. The report highlighted key digital trends, including increasing multi-device usage, widespread adoption of AI tools, the continued rise of short-form video consumption, and the rapid growth of quick commerce and social commerce, reflecting the evolving nature of India's digital economy.