| |JANUARY 20264AI, one of recent time's most disruptive tech trends, is no longer a buzzword. It has transitioned into becoming a business necessity in today's day and age. Understanding the potential that AI holds in terms of impacting various sectors, governments and businesses worldwide are dedicating considerable resources and efforts to support its comprehensive application. India is not lagging behind. With a strong pool of IT talent, India has embarked on numerous ambitious projects to harness AI as a digital tool for national growth, particularly emphasizing health, education, and governance. According to data by Statista, India's AI market is poised for significant growth, and is expected to reach $7.27 billion in 2026.This comes as no surprise! Companies and businesses across the board are jumping on the AI bandwagon. From small startups to global conglomerates, every business is endeavouring to tame the AI beast and make it work in their favour.2025 was a watershed year in terms of AI adoption. In 2025, AI transitioned from being a strategic advantage to a fundamental business imperative across industries. From established technology titans to agile startups and region-specific innovators, companies embraced AI to drive operational efficiency, unlock new revenue streams, and fuel competitive differentiation. On March 18th 2025, the US-India Artificial Intelligence initiative was introduced by IUSSTF to foster a robust platform aimed at advancing AI through the exchange of ideas, exploring research and development opportunities, and enhancing collaborative prospects between the two nations. We saw major companies such as RIL make major AI strides. In order to facilitate India's upcoming major progress in AI, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with Google Cloud. This collaboration aims to deliver advanced, secure, and sustainable AI infrastructure, enabling businesses, startups, and public sector organizations to innovate on a larger scale. Tech giant Infosys set up a Centre for Advanced AI, Cybersecurity, and Space Technology at its Development Centre (DC) located in Hubballi, Karnataka.Such developments were seen everywhere. The message is clear: 2025 was the year of AI adoption; 2026 is slated to bring deepened AI expertise.Join us as we recap India's 2025 AI journey and see the outlook for 2026. 2025 Was the Year of AI Adoption; 2026 is Slated to Bring Deepened AI ExpertiseEditorialVOL 10 · ISSUE 1 01 · JANUARY, 2026Office Editorial queries editor@cioinsiderindia.comAdvertising Queriessales@cioinsiderindia.comBangaloreTel 080 46441103 To subscribeVisit www.cioinsiderindia.com/subscribe/ or send email to: subscription@cioinsiderindia.comMagazine price is Rs 150 per issuePrabhu Dutta A.R.N RayGM - Sales & MarketingNagendra Kumar KGM - Media & Graphic Designing VisualizerMagendran PerumalCirculation ManagerEditorial TeamKeerthana Kantharaj Roopalatha HViswanathan AMeriya SubuHarold VinsonCIOInsiderNo. 124, 2nd Floor, Surya Chambers, Old Airport Road, Murugheshpalya, Bangalore-560017Madhusmita SahooVisualisersPublisher & EditorManaging EditorAlok ChaturvediSujith VasudevanPrinted and published by Alok Chaturvedi on Behalf of SiliconMedia Technologies Pvt Ltd and Printed at Executive Prints - 113/7, Ground floor, Old madras road, Halasuru, Bangalore - 560008 and Published at No. 124, 2nd Floor, Surya Chambers, Old Airport Road, Murugeshpalya, Bangalore-560017.Copyright© 2026 SiliconMedia Technologies Pvt Ltd, All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the magazine and accordingly, no liability is assumed by the publisher.Rachita SharmaManaging Editor
< Page 3 | Page 5 >