CII Business Summit 2026: Gautam Adani Says AI Must Empower Workers And Small Businesses, Not Just Corporates

At CII Summit 2026, Gautam Adani says AI must create jobs, empower small businesses and strengthen India’s digital infrastructure.

Gautam Adani speaks on AI, jobs and India’s digital future at CII

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Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry Annual Business Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Gautam Adani, Chairperson of the Adani Group, said India’s artificial intelligence journey should focus on creating opportunities for ordinary citizens instead of serving only large corporations. 

The Gautam Adani stressed that AI must become a tool that improves productivity, supports employment, and strengthens smaller enterprises across the country. 

AI Should Create Opportunities, Not Fear 

During his address, Gautam Adani argued that India should avoid viewing artificial intelligence as a threat to jobs. Instead, he said the technology must be used to expand economic participation and help Indian businesses compete globally. 

“India must build AI as a force that expands productivity, creates jobs, empowers small enterprises and gives Indians the tools to compete globally,” he said. 

He explained that technological revolutions become successful only when they are accessible to people across different economic sections. 

Comparing AI’s Potential With UPI’s Transformation 

Gautam Adani drew comparisons between artificial intelligence and India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), describing how digital innovations can reshape the economy when adopted at scale. 

“UPI did not simply move money. It made small businesses visible, expanded trust and unlocked entirely new economic ecosystems,” he said. 

According to him, AI now offers India the opportunity to build new industries, employment networks, and business models that can benefit millions. 

Building the Full AI Ecosystem in India 

The Adani Group chairman said India must develop strong foundational infrastructure to support the next phase of AI growth. This includes power systems, data centres, digital networks, computing capabilities, and skill development. 

He emphasised that the AI economy would depend not only on software engineers but also on a massive workforce supporting physical infrastructure. 

“The intelligence age cannot be built only through chips, servers and algorithms, but equally through technicians, electricians, operators, cooling engineers and millions of skilled workers,” he said. 

Warning Against Dependence on Foreign Infrastructure 

Gautam Adani also highlighted growing global competition around semiconductors, cloud systems, and data infrastructure. He warned that countries worldwide are increasingly treating digital infrastructure as a strategic national asset. 

“Semiconductors have become instruments of statecraft. Data is being treated as a national resource. Clouds are being weaponised. Artificial Intelligence is being built behind the protective walls of data centres,” he said. 

He stressed that India should build and control its own digital infrastructure instead of depending heavily on overseas systems.  

“India must not rent the infrastructure of its intelligence future. India must build it, power it and own it on its own soil,” Gautam Adani said. 

India’s Next Growth Phase Will Depend on Technology 

With highlighting future investments, Gautam Adani referred to the group’s large-scale commitments in clean energy, data centres, and digital infrastructure, along with collaborations involving global technology firms. 

Reflecting on India’s long-term growth, he said the country’s next phase of progress would depend on building strength in innovation, energy, and computing. 

“The future does not arrive. It is built,” he said. 

He concluded by saying, “The next freedom struggle will be fought in our grids, our data centres, our factories, our classrooms, our laboratories and our minds.”