India’s AI Push: PM Modi Holds Roundtable with 16 Deeptech Startups

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a roundtable with founders and CEOs of 16 artificial intelligence and deeptech startups at Seva Teerth, on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

According to an official statement, the meeting brought together startup leaders working across healthcare, agriculture, cybersecurity, space technology and social impact sectors. The discussion focused on how AI-driven solutions can address large-scale challenges in India while strengthening the country’s position in global technology development.

The roundtable included founders and CEOs from Abridge, Adalat AI, BrainSightAI, Credo AI, Eka Care, Glean, Innogle, Invideo, Miko, Origin, Prophaze, Rasen, Rubrik, SatSure, Supernova and Sypha AI.

The meeting was also attended by P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Shaktikanta Das, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.

Startups presented their work in areas ranging from AI-powered medical diagnostics and patient data management to geospatial intelligence for agriculture and climate risk monitoring. Some ventures are focused on cybersecurity, ethical AI governance, space technology and improving access to education and justice through vernacular AI tools.

The Prime Minister discussed the use of AI in agriculture, including monitoring crop productivity and fertilizer usage to improve soil health. He also spoke about applications in environmental protection and expanding access to higher education in Indian languages using AI tools.

Policy Focus and Concerns

Modi underscored the importance of strong data governance frameworks and cautioned against the risks of misinformation as AI adoption expands. He urged startups to build solutions tailored to India’s specific needs rather than relying solely on imported models.

Referring to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as an example of scalable digital infrastructure, he encouraged trust in domestic technology platforms and highlighted investor interest in India’s growing startup ecosystem. He also reiterated the government’s push to expand private participation in the space sector.

The roundtable reflects the government’s continued engagement with the domestic AI ecosystem, as India seeks to balance innovation, regulation and strategic technology development in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, cybersecurity and space.