Delivering a thought-provoking address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCLTech, framed artificial intelligence as a defining structural shift rather than a routine technology cycle. She described AI as the “invisible hum” of the current decade, reshaping industries, business models, and societies by commoditising knowledge itself. Emphasising that the real competitive edge in the AI era lies in clarity of thinking and responsible leadership, she said AI acts as a mirror reflecting human choices and values. Nadar Malhotra argued that India must transition from scale-led, services-driven growth to intelligence-led, IP-centric value creation, where ownership of platforms and models matters more than deployment alone. Calling for compute to be treated as digital public infrastructure, she highlighted the need to democratise access to enable innovation nationwide. Stressing ethics, trust, and inclusion, she said AI’s true success will be judged not by how fast it scales, but by whom it serves.