Kazakhstan is stepping up cooperation with India while actively promoting its digital and artificial intelligence agenda on the global stage, DKNews.kz reports.
During a working visit to New Delhi, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and participated in the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
Focus on strengthening strategic partnership
At the meeting, Olzhas Bektenov conveyed greetings from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, while Narendra Modi expressed his readiness to continue joint efforts to elevate bilateral relations.
The sides discussed key areas of cooperation, including:
- Trade and investment ties.
- Energy and the agro-industrial sector.
- Digitalization and artificial intelligence.
- Critical minerals and rare earth elements.
- Space and defense industries.
Bilateral trade reached $923.3 million at the end of 2025.
Kazakhstan also signaled readiness to expand exports across 40 product categories worth about $150 million.
Kazakhstan highlights AI ambitions at global summit
Bektenov took part in the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which gathered delegations from more than 50 countries, including government leaders, experts and technology innovators.
In his plenary speech, the Prime Minister emphasized the transformative role of artificial intelligence in global economic development.
“We believe that intelligence must be inclusive, sovereign, and, most importantly, transformative for key sectors of the economy.”
He highlighted Kazakhstan’s strong position in digital development:
- Ranked 24th globally in the UN E-Government Development Index.
- Among the world’s top ten in online service quality.
- Targeting full digital transformation within three years.
“Artificial intelligence is a strategic pillar of our national development,” Bektenov said.
Major digital infrastructure projects underway
Kazakhstan is actively investing in large-scale digital initiatives.
Key projects include:
- Adoption of the Law “On Artificial Intelligence.”
- Creation of the Presidential AI Development Council.
- Deployment of two major supercomputing clusters — the first in Central Asia.
- Implementation of a Sovereign AI Hub project with NVIDIA.
- Construction of the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic line with Azerbaijan.
Officials say the fiber-optic route will become the shortest alternative corridor for global data traffic, positioning Kazakhstan as a digital bridge between East and West.
The flagship “Data Center Valley” project in Ekibastuz is also expected to create a major ecosystem for large-scale data centers.
International AI exhibition showcases innovation
Following the summit, delegations visited the India AI Impact Expo 2026, which presented practical AI solutions across multiple sectors.
The exhibition covered:
- Industry and manufacturing technologies.
- Financial sector innovations.
- Healthcare applications.
- Security and smart systems.
Officials say Kazakhstan continues to invite global technology companies to cooperate in developing advanced digital solutions.
