UNESCO and India release AI readiness assessment at India AI Impact Summit 2026

UNESCO and India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the India Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

The report, developed with the IndiaAI Mission and supported by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, assesses India’s preparedness to develop and deploy AI responsibly and ethically. It evaluates the country’s AI ecosystem across governance, infrastructure, workforce readiness and practical use cases.

The assessment draws on consultations with more than 600 stakeholders from government, academia, industry and civil society conducted over eighteen months. The process combined research, expert interviews and regional consultations across several Indian cities.

According to the report, India has become one of the world’s fastest-growing AI talent hubs, representing about 16% of global AI talent, and has filed more than 86,000 AI-related patents since 2010. The study also highlights progress in areas such as multilingual AI and digital public services.

At the same time, the report identifies policy gaps, including the need for stronger legal frameworks, better coordination between national and regional authorities and measures to ensure that AI development does not increase social inequalities.

The report outlines recommendations to strengthen AI governance, expand access to high-quality datasets, build public trust in AI systems and prepare the workforce for AI-driven economic changes.