On Thursday, 19 February 2026, Rishi Sunak opened his keynote speech to a packed hall with an offhanded apology for the tardy arrival. “Sorry we are a few minutes late, and it’s all my fault,” Sunak said, smiling. “AI can do tons of things, which we learned this week, but it can’t remedy Delhi's traffic yet.” And while he was not at the front of the crowd, there was a long silence. Among those around him, among other people from around the world who had also managed the snarls of the “VIP movement” snarls that raged in Central Delhi, the comment brought out laughter right there in the crowd.
VIDEO | At India AI Summit, former UK PM Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) quips, "AI can do many things but can't fix Delhi's traffic."#RishiSunak #Delhitraffic pic.twitter.com/mbM94ZGRkA
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 19, 2026
India as an AI "Medalist"
Aside from the chit-chat, Sunak extolled India’s breathtaking climb to the top in the global technology ecosystem. India emerges into a “medal position” as an AI superpower, outpacing the UK as per recent Stanford University rankings, he noted. As a lighthearted reference to his love of sports, he stated: “I did just point out to Prime Minister Modi that if you look at the ICC Test rankings, England is still ahead which arguably matters, more!”
From Bletchley to Bharat
Sunak, who chaired the inaugural Global AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in 2023, stressed that the India AI Impact Summit 2026 is a massive leap towards "mass adoption." He noted that if the West tends to think of AI in anxious terms, almost 90 percent of Indians still believe in this technology. He attributed in part the uniqueness of India’s DPI, which includes Aadhaar, along with the UPI, to set the stage for scaling AI that could help 1.4 billion people - especially those in healthcare and education - to benefit.
An "Son-in-Law" of India
The conversation grew even closer when the UK Deputy PM David Lammy described Sunak as a "great son of the United Kingdom and a great son of India." Sunak jumped right in with a correction: "Son-in-law!", of his marriage to Akshata Murty, daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. This smart corrective only served to further seal his connection with the audience.
