Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's absence from India's AI Impact Summit and his appearance at a late-night engineer gathering in California have drawn attention to the chipmaker's strategic priorities amid intensifying competition over next-generation memory and artificial intelligence hardware.

India's attempt to position itself as a bridge between global powers in artificial intelligence faced a series of setbacks at the India AI Impact Summit, as logistical chaos, geopolitical resistance, and controversy over misrepresented technology undercut New Delhi's ambitions.

India puts AI at the center of tech and geopolitical strategy, hosting the AI Impact Summit 2026 with global investment pledges, joining the US-led Pax Silica coalition, and advancing domestic semiconductor projects including Qualcomm's partnership with Tata Electronics.

US President Donald Trump said he will raise a planned global tariff to 15%, escalating his trade policy response a day after the US Supreme Court struck down many of his earlier import taxes.

India's semiconductor drive is advancing unevenly, with quicker momentum in packaging and testing but mounting timeline risks in wafer fabrication, underscoring both progress and structural gaps as New Delhi seeks a larger role in global chip supply chains.

On February 21, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiheld wide-ranging talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to deepen strategic ties and expand cooperation across trade, technology, energy, and critical minerals.