Google CEO Sundar Pichai enjoys Bharat GI coffee at AI summit

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday dropped by a modest Coffee Board stall at the Commerce Ministry pavilion at the India AI Impact Summit, even as he told global leaders that artificial intelligence is the “biggest platform shift of our lifetimes” and a driver of “hyper progress” that could help emerging economies leapfrog legacy gaps. The summit, which began on Monday, has brought together hundreds of global leaders, technologists and policymakers as India pushes for wider access to AI.

A coffee break that went viral

At a corner of the summit floor, Pichai paused for a cup of Bharat GI coffee. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal captured the moment in a social media post, saying, "When @SundarPichai drops by for a sip, you know it's truly worth it! The world is raising a cup to Bharat GI Coffee at #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026," highlighting the Coffee Board’s push to promote quality, productivity and exports of Indian coffee.



The Coffee Board’s work centres on improving production and promoting exports of the commodity, and the cameo visit gave the stall unexpected global visibility.

‘Biggest platform shift of our lifetimes’

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pichai set the tone for the summit’s core theme — how AI can reshape the world. He said, "No technology has me dreaming bigger than AI. It is the biggest platform shift of our lifetimes. We are on the cusp of hyper progress and new discoveries that can help emerging economies leapfrog legacy gaps," urging governments and industry to act boldly and responsibly together.

He cautioned that AI’s benefits are not automatic and require collaboration to ensure they reach everyone.

From protein folding to disease mapping

Pichai pointed to AI-driven scientific advances, especially AlphaFold, Google DeepMind’s protein-folding breakthrough, which he said is used by “over three million researchers in more than 190 countries to develop malaria vaccines.” He added that the tool has compressed decades of research into an open database and that Google is cataloguing DNA disease markers and building AI agents that can act as research partners.

These developments, he suggested, show how AI can move beyond apps and into deep scientific discovery.

India investments and a coastal AI hub

Pichai also underlined Google’s growing investments in India, including a full-stack AI hub in Visakhapatnam as part of a $15 billion infrastructure investment. He said, "When finished, this hub will house gigawatt-scale compute and a new international subsea cable gateway, bringing jobs and the benefits of cutting-edge AI to people and businesses across India," adding that the company is also building subsea optic cables, including four new systems between the United States and India.

Reflecting on his visit, he said, "It is wonderful to be back in India. Every time I visit, I am struck by the pace of change and today is no different."

Jobs, skills and the AI shift

On the future of work, Pichai said, "AI will undeniably reshape the workforce — automating some roles, evolving others and creating entirely new careers," noting that Google’s plan to train 100 million people in digital skills is meant to help workers adapt to AI-driven changes.

A summit with global scale

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed global leaders at the event. The summit has drawn more than 500 AI leaders, including 100 CEOs and founders, 150 academicians and researchers, and 400 senior technology executives. More than 20 heads of state and government and around 60 ministers and vice ministers are attending, signalling growing global coordination around AI’s future.

(Inputs from agencies)