India chases ‘DeepSeek moment’ with homegrown AI models

New Delhi (AFP) Feb 20, 2026

Fledgling Indian artificial intelligence companies showcased homegrown technologies this week at a major summit in New Delhi, underpinning big dreams of becoming a global AI power.

But analysts said the country was unlikely to have a "DeepSeek moment" – the sort of boom China had last year with a high-performance, low-cost chatbot – any time soon.