By Sahil Pandey

New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): Deputy Chair at the Artificial Intelligence Council under the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan, Firuzjon Sodiqov, on Monday, praised India's rapid strides in artificial intelligence and said that there are 'really high expectations' from New Delhi at the ongoing global AI Sumit, expressing hope for deeper collaboration between the two countries.

Speaking to ANI, he said,'I think we have really high expectations, because we have been following India's progress in AI, and plus its initiatives in this great summit.

He added that Tajikistan looks forward to discussions, meetings, and potential announcements during the summit that could benefit not only bilateral ties but also the wider Central Asian region.

'That's why we are looking forward to this kind of discussions, meetings and new announcements that will be done during this summit, this would be beneficial for many countries, especially for Tajikistan, Central Asia and our partnership with India, ' he said.

Highlighting ongoing cooperation, the representative said a Tajik company is already working with Yotta, an Indian firm that manages data centres and hyperscale infrastructure.

'One of our companies working from Tajikistan is working with Yotta, which is an Indian company managing different data centres, and hyper scale, so we have working on one project in Tajikistan to implement the experience, and have a joint partnership, to develop AI data centres in Tajikistan,' he said.

He described the initiative as a potential success story in India-Tajikistan ties, noting that such collaboration could position Tajikistan as a regional AI infrastructure hub.

On future cooperation, he said a document covering various aspects of AI collaboration between India and Tajikistan is expected to be signed during the summit.

'We know that there is a document that would be signed between Tajikistan and India, on different points of collaboration on AI,' he added.

PM Modi will inaugurate the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital. An unprecedented roster of Presidents, Prime Ministers, Crown Princes, and the brightest minds from Silicon Valley and beyond will convene at the Bharat Mandapam as India hosts the AI Impact Summit 2026.

The summit will be the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South. It will bring together global leaders, policymakers, technology companies, innovators, and experts to showcase and deliberate on the transformative potential of AI across governance, innovation, and sustainable development.

The AI Impact Summit, which kicked off on Monday in New Delhi, will welcome world leaders from across 20 countries, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and others. UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres will also attend the event.

From February 16 to 20, the Impact Summit, the first international AI summit hosted in the Global South, showcases New Delhi's ambition: to shape an AI future that is inclusive, responsible, and impactful. At the core is India's audacious vision for sovereign AI. (ANI)