Ethical, responsible, sovereign, accessible and inclusive, valid and legitimate, but above all human-centric: these are the defining features of the Artificial Intelligence model that India has committed to developing, in the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on 19 February.<\/p>\n
Heading the Italian delegation, on behalf of the Prime Minister, was the Minister for Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, accompanied by representatives from Italy\u2019s business and research communities.<\/p>\n
Showcasing Italian excellence in High Performance Computing (HPC) were representatives of CINECA, Eni, ENEA and CMCC (Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change).<\/p>\n
The dynamism of Italy\u2019s entrepreneurial ecosystem in AI, innovation and emerging technologies was represented by companies such as Sparkle (one of the very few European firms participating also in the CEO Forum of the Summit in the presence of PM Modi), Almaviva, Harmonic Innovation Group (recently promoter of a \u20ac50 million acceleration program for African AI start-ups) and Stellantis (a member of the AI4I Foundation), as well as eight companies and start-ups active across various sectors (from health to e-commerce, from IoT to blockchain) hosted within the Italy Pavilion, established at the initiative of Italian Trade Agency (ICE).<\/p>\n
The delegation was further enriched by the presence of Paolo Benanti, a leading Italian authority on AI ethics and a representative of the human-centric approach to new technologies that we share with New Delhi.<\/p>\n
The Deputy Director General of the Directorate General for Globalization and Global Issues (DGCT) of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Minister Plenipotentiary Diego Brasioli, spoke on behalf of Italy at the closing session of the Summit\u2019s Working Groups and subsequently met with the Joint Secretary \u2013 Cyber Division of India\u2019s Ministry of External Affairs, Amit A. Shukla.<\/p>\n
The Deputy Head of Mission, Minister Counsellor Aurora Russi, participated in the ministerial meeting of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI).<\/p>\n
In his address at the Summit\u2019s plenary ministerial session, Minister Urso stressed the need for international cooperation to establish global governance mechanisms and guidelines capable of steering AI development in a sustainable manner, leaving no one behind and ensuring benefits for all. In this respect, the AI Impact Summit clearly represented a step forward. From the Italian perspective, the Minister underlined that Italy was the first European country to adopt a comprehensive framework law on artificial intelligence, aligned with the European AI Act, to which we contributed, placing at its core a human-centric, safe and transparent use of this technology. He also highlighted Italy\u2019s adoption in 2024 of a dedicated National AI Strategy defining actions and objectives in the field, built around cutting-edge HPC infrastructure \u2014 such as the Leonardo supercomputer at CINECA in Bologna, DaVinci in Genoa and Eni\u2019s system in Pavia \u2014 as well as the National Strategy on Quantum Technologies launched in 2025.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the Minister noted that Italy has applied to host one of the gigafactories promoted by the European Commission and has established a dedicated public fund to support AI-sector enterprises. Lastly, he emphasized cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the creation \u2014 during Italy\u2019s most recent G7 Presidency \u2014 of an AI Hub for Sustainable Development in Rome, aimed at fostering AI development in African countries. The initiative provides over 1.5 million computing hours over three years, already made available to 130 selected African start-ups, and includes the establishment of a venture capital program to support African innovators.<\/p>\n
The AI Hub for Sustainable Development was among the signatories of a trilateral technical Letter of Intent concluded \u2014 on the margins of the Summit and at the Italian Pavilion \u2014 between Italy, India and Kenya to promote the development of AI infrastructure in Africa, within the framework of the Mattei Plan and as a natural continuation of a path launched at the AI Forum in Nairobi on 9\u201310 February.<\/p>\n
Signatories included, in addition to the Italian MIMIT-AI Hub, the EkStep Foundation for India, and the Directorate for Digital Economy and Emerging Technologies of Kenya\u2019s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy.<\/p>\n
Although non-binding, the agreement represents the first example of triangular cooperation aimed at developing inclusive, transparent and data-sovereign AI. It will promote enabling infrastructure, operational models and skills to accompany AI solutions from pilot stage to full scalability. Particular attention will be devoted to the development of voice-based AI in African languages, expanding access to digital services and reducing linguistic barriers across the continent.<\/p>\n
Minister Urso\u2019s participation in the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, leading a large Italian business and scientific delegation, significantly strengthened Italy\u2019s position as a privileged partner of India in innovation and AI, and in promoting the sustainable development of new technologies in the Global South, in line both with the spirit of the Mattei Plan and with the Joint Strategic Action Plan signed by Prime Ministers Meloni and Modi at the G20 in Rio in 2024<\/p>\n
Article by Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury – ET Bureau (The Economic Times), 20th Feb. 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Marking a landmark outcome of the AI Impact Summit 2026, India, Kenya, and Italy have announced a strategic trilateral partnership to co-design and deploy scalable, sovereign AI pathways across Africa. This collaboration, co-led by EkStep Foundation, the Directorate of Digital Economy and Emerging technologies at the Kenya Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, through the AI Hub for Sustainable Development, with UNDP, shifts AI implementation from fragmented experiments to AI diIusion pathways to scale impact in lives of billions of people with agency and empowerment. Leveraging the G7-endorsed AI Hub for Sustainable Development, a partnership of UNDP and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italyand aligned with Italy\u2019s Mattei Plan, the trilateral arrangement unites India, Italy and Kenyato collectivelywork with local public and private sector innovators to scale voice-enabled AI solutions tailored to African contexts, focusing on low-connectivity environments, local languages, and data ownership.<\/p>\n Key Focus Areas & Impact:<\/strong> \u2022 Core Infrastructure: Utilizing shared horizontal enablers, including multilingual voice models and aIordable compute, \u2022 Shared Ambition: Working toward a goal of 100 AI DiIusion Pathways by 2030 to ensure trusted, contextual AI.<\/p>\n This trilateral partnership will catalyze smart ecosystempathways, combining India\u2019s innovation expertise, digital public goods and know-how, Kenya\u2019s on-the-ground ecosystem and leadership in Africa, and Italy\u2019s AI Hub focus on horizontal unlocks and industrial partners to deliver concrete, Africa-led progress. It is a crucial step toward building sovereign, green AI infrastructure that is Africa-led. This eIort follows the Nairobi AI Forum 2026 convened together with UNDP, which facilitated critical, immediate access for African innovators to computing resources and solidiXed the commitment to practical, impactful AI deployment through partnerships and financing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Sector Impact: Deploying AI solutions in agriculture, health, education, livelihoods, and public services.<\/p>\n
\nto reduce adoption barriers.<\/p>\n