Toronto/CMEDIA: In partnership with the Univ of Waterloo, Canada India Tech Council, and Zoho Inc., the Consulate General of India in Toronto hosted the ‘India-Canada AI Dialogue 2026.’ underscoring India’s significant role in inclusive, responsible, and impact-driven AI, the high-level Dialogue about the importance of India-Canada cooperation for shared economic and societal benefits.
As one of the few pre-summit events organized globally, this dialogue is a precursor to one of the biggest AI Summits in Global South — the ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’ in New Delhi (Feb 19-20, 2026) — designed to gather diverse perspectives and build momentum.
“The India-Canada AI Dialogue 2026 reflects our shared vision…toward the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi…to drive innovation that is inclusive, ethical, and globally relevant,” Dinesh K. Patnaik, High Commissioner of India to Canada said,
AI is no longer an abstract or future-facing conversation….the India-Canada AI Dialogue so important is that it puts impact, accountability, and human outcomes at the center of the discussion…to make sure this technology serves people, strengthens societies, and delivers real economic value,” Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Canada said in his address to the India-Canada AI Dialogue 2026.
In conveying his message on the importance of India-Canada AI Dialogue 2026, Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario said, “India and Canada share a deep and long standing partnership, one built on robust trade and investment, people-to-people ties and research partnerships in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.”
He also expressed his appreciation, saying, “Many thanks to the Consulate General of India in Toronto for convening this important gathering and for its continued leadership in fostering collaboration between our jurisdictions.”
The event also underscored Toronto’s role as a global AI hub and its growing importance as a bridge between North American and Indian AI ecosystems.
Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh, Acting Consul General of India in Toronto highlighted the local ecosystem and noted, “Toronto is one of the world’s most dynamic AI ecosystems. Hosting this Dialogue here enabled meaningful connections between India’s rapidly expanding AI landscape and Canadian innovators, creating a strong foundation for continued engagement ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.”
Prof. Vivek Goel, President & VC, University of Waterloo added, “Our deep ties with India, including a large and vibrant Indian diaspora, create natural pathways for partnership. By collaborating on large-scale clinical datasets, driving public health innovation, and expanding equitable access to advanced digital tools, we can accelerate responsible and ethical AI technology that delivers meaningful benefits for communities in both our countries.”
Featuring distinguished speakers and leaders from across the AI ecosystem, the Dialogue included Victor Fedeli (Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade, Ontario), Jeff Nankivell (CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada), Paul Samson (President, CIGI), Nick Frosst (Co-Founder, Cohere), Julien Billot (CEO, Scale AI), Ramprakash Ramamoorthy (Director of AI Research, Zoho), Elissa Strome (Member of Canada’s AI Advisory Council & ED, CIFAR), Mary Wells (Dean of Engineering, University of Waterloo and Member of Canada’s AI Taskforce), Diane Gutiw (VP & Global AI Research Lead, CGI and Co-chair of Canada’s Advisory Council on AI), Kundan Joshi (CEO, Canada India Tech Council), and Sanjeev Gill (AVP Innovation at University of Waterloo & Executive Director, WatSPEED).
Emphasizing the need for cross-border collaboration, this Dialogue ensures AI innovation delivers economic growth while addressing societal challenges and sets pointers for the Canadian Delegation heading to the Summit & co-chairing the Working Group on Science in the main Summit, next month. The AI Dialogue was distinguished by the presence of over 600 senior leaders, including C-suite executives, policymakers, and researchers from government, industry, academia, and the innovation ecosystem, gathered to advance bilateral collaboration in artificial intelligence.
