$500 Million AI Vision and India’s First Indigenous Autonomous Vessel: What Happened at Pune’s SHAKTI Summit 2026?
Pune, 6th June 2026: Accelerating India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047, the Pune Chapter of the Hindu Economic Forum (HEF) successfully concluded the SHAKTI Summit 2026 at the Pune International Centre. The summit served as an operational launchpad for Bharat’s Strategic Power Framework, focusing on strategic sectors including defence and aerospace, the temple economy, artificial intelligence, knowledge and media, technology, and infrastructure.
The summit advanced its multipronged objectives of promoting indigenous artificial intelligence, unlocking domestic venture capital, and strengthening strategic self-reliance (Atmanirbharta) across critical defence and economic sectors.
Jishnu Dev Varma, Governor of Maharashtra, attended the event as the chief guest and delivered the keynote address. He highlighted the need for stronger collaboration among government, industry, investors, and knowledge institutions in sectors vital to India’s long-term growth and strategic self-reliance.
Gaurav Tripathi, President of the HEF Pune District Chapter and Co-founder and CTO of Partex.AI, said, “The SHAKTI Summit 2026 marks a paradigm shift in how we approach economic growth. We are building an execution-first ecosystem where serious capital, strategic industrial sectors, and civilisational clarity converge.
“The Pune AI Grid is positioning Pune as the Applied AI and Strategic Capital of Bharat by further strengthening its manufacturing and digital capabilities. By aligning our deep research talent, robust industrial base, and foundational infrastructure, we are transforming national priorities such as Atmanirbhar Bharat into measurable economic outcomes.”
The $500 Million Pune AI Vision
Partex.AI presented a comprehensive roadmap to establish Pune as a global hub for applied artificial intelligence. The plan envisions a $50 million foundation phase featuring distributed GPU clusters and an AI Model Foundry, eventually scaling into a $500 million platform aimed at training 100,000 professionals and developing exportable AI solutions for the defence, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors.
Gunjan Bharadwaj, Founder and CEO of Partex.AI, said, “The Pune AI Vision presents an opportunity to leverage both exploratory and exploitative innovation on a scale few cities globally can match. By uniting Pune’s exceptional talent ecosystem, we can build decision-making technologies that transform not only Indian industry but also create global impact. Partex is committed to supporting this vision by accelerating innovation across defence, manufacturing, and life sciences.”
India’s First Indigenous Autonomous Surface Vessel Showcased
Accurate Group showcased ISACA, India’s first indigenously developed Autonomous Surface Vessel. The vessel has undergone trials evaluated by the Indian Navy and integrates artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, and indigenous collision-avoidance software, marking a significant milestone in India’s maritime autonomy capabilities.
Kiran Jadhav, Chairman and Managing Director of Accurate Group, said, “Indigenous autonomous vessel technology is a testament to India’s capabilities and our commitment to Atmanirbharta. The SHAKTI Summit has created a platform for transformative solutions that will strengthen the nation’s defence and maritime capabilities.”
Strategic discussions on defence, aerospace, rare earths, infrastructure, technology, the temple economy, artificial intelligence, and startups were among the key highlights of the summit. Industry leaders, entrepreneurs, founders, and subject-matter experts participated in these deliberations.
To ensure that these discussions translate into actionable outcomes, the HEF Pune District Chapter announced the formation of a Defence Working Group, reinforcing its commitment to structured post-summit engagement and implementation.
