Philips CEO Roy Jakobs hails India's potential as 'AI Powerhouse'

Roy Jakobs, President and CEO of Royal Philips, on Thursday expressed strong confidence in India's potential to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, highlighting the technology's transformative role in healthcare.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in the national capital, Jakobs said he believes deeply in the transformative power of AI for people and societies.

"I am very happy to be here because I strongly believe in the potential of what AI can do for people. For us, it means how we can use AI to support better healthcare in India and the world," he said.

He emphasised the importance of collaboration between the industry, government, and policymakers.

"Forums like the AI Summit, where we bring together the best and brightest around AI, but also the government and the policymakers, make it the ecosystem you can rally around how we progress artificial intelligence because you need to do it in a responsible manner, and therefore it's important we take all stakeholders along," Jakobs added.

Jakobs said he believes India should be a global AI powerhouse, highlighting its strong software talent and 97 years of Philips' presence, positioning the country to lead AI development for India and the world.

"I strongly believe that India should be a powerhouse in AI. India has always been a powerhouse in software. As Philips, we have been 97 years in India. We have the biggest population of software innovators in India, and they're now working on AI. So I think India is very well positioned to take also a leadership role, not only developing AI for India, but also developing AI for the world," he said.

The India AI Impact Summit has brought together government policymakers, industry AI experts, academicians, technology innovators and civil society from across the world at New Delhi to advance global discussions on artificial intelligence.

The India AI Impact Summit, the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South, reflects on the transformative potential of AI aligning with the national vision of "Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya" (welfare for all, happiness for all) and the global principle of AI for Humanity. This summit is part of an evolving international process aimed at strengthening global cooperation on the governance, safety, and societal impact of AI.