IACC Summit Unites 100+ Leaders to Shape India’s AI‑Ready Digital Infrastructure

Over 100 business, policy, and technology leaders gathered in Hyderabad at the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce inaugural Summit to address critical infrastructure needs across Data Centers, AI demand, GCC Expansion, Cyber Resilience, Green energy, and cloud innovation

The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) hosted its inaugural Digital Infrastructure Summit 2026 in Hyderabad on Friday, drawing over 100 top business, technology, and policy leaders. The summit set out to chart a roadmap for the robust, secure digital infrastructure to power India’s next wave of AI innovation and digital growth.

Organized by the Andhra Pradesh & Telangana Branch of the IACC, with support from CtrlS Datacenters as the Presenting Partner, the summit brought together key voices across industry, government, and finance to align on a shared vision for India’s digital growth.

In her welcome speech, Dr. Sreedevi Devireddy, Chairperson, IACC Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, said, “India is on the cusp of an unprecedented digital revolution, where next-generation infrastructure will act as the ultimate catalyst for hyper-scale innovation. Looking beyond simple capacity, we are pioneering a sustainable future, scaling world-class data centers, expanding Global Capability Centers (GCCs), fortifying cybersecurity, and deploying secure, AI-ready technologies.

The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce is proud to unite visionary leaders from industry, government, and finance to bridge critical gaps and forge high-impact partnerships. Hyderabad and Telangana are uniquely positioned to power this ecosystem, and this inaugural IACC Digital Infrastructure Summit 2026 marks the launchpad for a sustained, forward-looking movement.” Sreedevi added.

The inaugural session laid a strong strategic foundation for the day’s deliberations on India’s digital infrastructure growth. Mr. Srikanth Badiga, Group Director of Phoenix Group, Chairman of SEZEPC (Ministry of Commerce & Industry, GoI), and Director NEC, IACC, delivered the Theme Address, setting the tone for India’s digital scaling journey. Mr. Chandra Shekhar Sarma G, CISO & Director of Compliance at CtrlS Datacenters delivered the Opening Keynote on infrastructure security, followed by a Special Address from Mr. S. Purnachandra Rao, Former National President of IACC and Managing Director of Global Infovision Pvt. Ltd.

The summit featured distinguished leadership from both government and diplomacy. Ms. Laura Williams, Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad, addressed the gathering as Guest of Honour, emphasizing bilateral technology and trade collaboration.

Addressing the IACC Summit, Ms. Laura Williams said that Mission 500, COMPACT, TRUST, and Pax Silica are not abstract frameworks — they are direct opportunities for investment, supply-chain partnership, and market access, especially here in Telangana and across South India.

As Ambassador Gor said: Our two countries have always built the strongest relationship from the ground up through entrepreneurs, engineers, and manufacturers who see opportunities in partnership rather than competition.

Chandra Shekhar Sarma G, CISO & Director, Compliance, CtrlS Datacenters, stated, “India’s digital transformation is entering a defining phase, with digital infrastructure evolving from an enabler to the foundation of the digital economy. The convergence of AI, cloud, hyperscale computing, edge and data-intensive applications is reshaping infrastructure needs. The next phase will be defined by speed to capacity, high-density compute, resilient connectivity, reliable power, sustainability and intelligent scalability."

Keynotes & Strategic Panel Highlights

The business sessions kicked off with an insightful keynote on "The Future of India’s AI & Cloud Landscape" by Mr. Anil Nama, CIO of CtrlS Datacenters Ltd., followed by a dynamic session on "The Build & Scale Journey" by Mr. Anil Pinapala, Managing Director of Vivifi India Finance Private Limited.

The summit’s technical agenda centered on two high-impact panel discussions:Building India's AI & Digital Infrastructure Capital: Moderated by Mr. Varma Konala (Co-Founder & CEO, Mahanim India), this panel brought together Mr. Shyam Menon (Co-Founder & General Partner, Bharat Innovation Fund), Mr. Rahul Dhar (President - Global Datacenter Operations, CtrlS Datacenters Ltd.), and Ms. Padmini Gopalakrishnan (VP Software Engineering, Agrani Labs) to discuss ecosystem enablers, venture capital, and local scaling.
Powering the Digital Economy — Resilience, Reliability, Security & Green Transformation: Moderated by Mr. Srini Reddy (EVP - Service Delivery, CtrlS Datacenters Ltd.), expert panelists including Dr. Paravastu Rambabu (Chief Sustainability Officer, Greenko Group), Mr. Krishna Sastry Pendyala (Partner Cybersecurity, EY), and Ms. Annapurna Kuchibhatla (CTO, Bajaj Electronics) explored the intersection of clean power, sustainability, and airtight cyber resilience in hyper-scale data centers.

About the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC): Established in 1968, the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) is the apex bilateral chamber synergizing India–U.S. economic engagement. Founded by Ambassador Chester Bowles alongside prominent industry leaders of the era, the IACC works continuously to deepen economic ties and trade between the two nations. Today, the IACC boasts a pan-India presence with over 1,500 members representing a wide cross-section of Indian and U.S. industries.

India Cracks Down on 15 Crypto Platforms

India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) has issued non-compliance notices to 15 crypto platforms, including Weex, Blofin, DigiFinex, XT.com, and WhiteBIT, ordering takedown of their apps and URLs for operating illegally in India under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This marks one of the most aggressive enforcement pushes since India expanded AML rules to cover virtual digital asset providers in 2023.

In March 2023, Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers (VDA SPs) were formally brought under India’s Anti‑Money Laundering and Counter‑Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) framework through the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

All VDA SPs serving Indian users — whether based offshore or onshore — and engaged in activities such as exchanging virtual assets with fiat currencies, transferring digital assets, safekeeping or administering them, or providing instruments that enable control over such assets, must register with FIU‑IND as Reporting Entities.

Under the PMLA and its associated rules, these entities are required to comply with obligations including registration, reporting, record‑keeping, and customer due diligence. Importantly, these requirements are activity‑based and apply regardless of whether the service provider has a physical presence in India.  

Key Details of the FIU Action

• Date of action: September 9–24, 2026
• Platforms targeted: Weex, Blofin, Rezorex, Bitunix, DigiFinex, Toobit, XT.com, Latoken, WOO X, Pionex, ChangeNow, SimpleSwap, FixedFloat, WhiteBIT, Guardarian
• Legal basis: Section 13 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002
• Enforcement mechanism: Notices issued under the IT Act, 2000 and Intermediary Guidelines (2025) to block apps/URLs
• Reason: Operating in India without registering as reporting entities with FIU-IND, failing AML/CFT obligations

Context and Background

• AML expansion (March 2023): India brought Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers (VDA SPs) under AML rules
• Past enforcement:
  - 2023: FIU-IND targeted Binance, Kraken, KuCoin; Binance later paid ₹18.82 crore penalty
  - 2025: Notices issued to 25 offshore exchanges including Paxful and BitMex
• User workarounds: Indian users increasingly use stablecoin-to-gift card platforms abroad to bypass Indian exchanges

Risks for Indian Users

• Crypto & NFTs remain unregulated in India — no investor protection or recourse for losses
• Platforms named in the FIU list may face sudden service disruptions
• Offshore exchanges may suspend services temporarily until compliance is achieved

Implications

• For investors: Expect tighter scrutiny, possible account freezes, and mandatory KYC
• For platforms: Offshore exchanges must register with FIU-IND or exit the Indian market
• For regulators: Reinforces India’s stance that crypto activity must align with AML/CFT frameworks

Next Steps You Might Explore

Topic	Description
FIU compliance rules	Understand reporting obligations for crypto in India
Crypto regulation in India	Explore evolving legal frameworks and restrictions
Risks of offshore exchanges	Learn about service disruptions and compliance issues
Stablecoin gift card workaround	See how users bypass Indian exchanges with gift cards

Nykaa and L’Oréal Join Forces to Empower India’s Next Beauty Icons

• The collaboration involves taking minority stakes, ensuring founders retain full operational and creative control of their independent brands.
• Combining capital with strategic mentorship, global beauty expertise, and local insights to support the booming Indian startup ecosystem.

Nykaa, India’s largest beauty retail company, and BOLD (Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development), the corporate venture capital fund of L’Oréal, today announced a collaboration to jointly invest in the next generation of high-growth Indian beauty and personal care brands.

Through the collaboration, BOLD and Nykaa will take minority stakes in emerging Indian beauty and wellness brands with strong consumer traction and distinctive propositions. Such investments will be purely financial and minority in nature, where founders retain full ownership control and continue to run their businesses independently, with their own teams, culture, and creative direction.

BOLD and Nykaa will act as long-term partners beyond capital to the brands they back, offering mentorship, guidance, and the opportunity to benefit from L’Oréal’s global beauty expertise, alongside Nykaa’s deep omnichannel retail network and consumer ecosystem understanding. The intent is to help ambitious Indian beauty founders scale faster and build enduring brands for India & the world.

Jacques Lebel, Managing Director, L’Oréal India, said: “India is one of the most exciting beauty markets in the world, and its energy comes both from an expanding base of demanding consumers with rapidly evolving needs and from its ecosystem of tremendous entrepreneurs. Through BOLD and this partnership with Nykaa, we want to stand behind that talent — backing founders with capital, mentorship, and L’Oréal’s beauty expertise, while leaving them free to build their brands their way. Our commitment to India is stronger than ever, and this is the next major milestone in a journey of partnership and growth that we began over three decades ago.”

Anchit Nayar, Executive Director and CEO, Nykaa Beauty, said: “Nykaa and L’Oréal have been partners in India for over a decade, working together on our shared vision of making India into one of the world's largest and fastest growing beauty markets. The experience and lessons we have learned along the way have allowed us to understand what it takes to build a promising brand into an enduring one. Combining our strong consumer ecosystem, deep retail network and wide distribution, along with L’Oréal’s global beauty expertise will be an incredibly valuable asset to the next generation of founders as they look to build consumer brands that India can be proud of.”

Embassy REIT Raises ₹1,000 Crores in Landmark First Bank Financing at REIT Trust Level

Becomes the first Indian REIT to access funding from a scheduled commercial bank at the trust level under the RBI's new REIT lending framework

Embassy Office Parks REIT (NSE: EMBASSY / BSE: 542602) ('Embassy REIT'), India's first listed REIT and the largest office REIT in Asia by area, today announced that it has raised ₹1,000 crores through the issuance of three-year floating-rate Non-Convertible Debentures ("NCDs"), fully subscribed by a leading European multinational bank.

The transaction marks the first financing by a scheduled commercial bank to an Indian REIT at the trust level, following the Reserve Bank of India's landmark framework announced in June 2026 permitting commercial banks to finance REITs. The NCDs have been priced at a spread of 150 basis points over the agreed three-month MIBOR OIS benchmark, translating into an initial coupon of 6.97%.

Amit Shetty, Chief Executive Officer of Embassy REIT, said,"This ₹1,000 crore fundraise is a significant milestone for Embassy REIT and for the evolution of India's REIT market. Continued regulatory support from SEBI and RBI has strengthened access to long-term funding for REITs. This new framework opens an important source of institutional capital that complements traditional capital market funding and further deepens the financing ecosystem. As India's first listed REIT, we are pleased to once again lead the way with the first bank financing at the trust level. This landmark transaction reflects the strength of our balance sheet, the quality of our portfolio, and reinforces Embassy REIT's position as the strongest credit in Indian real estate."

Transaction Highlights

• ₹1,000 crores raised through Embassy REIT Series XVIII NCDs
• Three-year tenor with an initial coupon rate of 6.97%
• Pricing at 150 basis points over the three-month MIBOR OIS benchmark
• Coupon to reset every three months in line with the movement in the benchmark
• Fully subscribed by a leading European multinational bank
• Marks the first financing by a scheduled commercial bank to an Indian REIT at the trust level following the RBI's new REIT lending framework
• NCDs rated "AAA/Stable" by CARE

About Embassy REIT

Embassy REIT is India's first publicly listed Real Estate Investment Trust and the largest office REIT in Asia, by area. Embassy REIT owns and operates a portfolio of over 52 million square feet of world-class office spaces across India's key gateway markets, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, the National Capital Region (NCR) and Chennai. The portfolio comprises 14 premium office ecosystems, including large, integrated office parks and city-centre office assets, and is home to 285 leading global and domestic corporations. In addition to office assets, the portfolio includes strategic amenities such as five operational business hotels, two hotels under development, and a 100 MW solar park that supplies renewable energy to tenants. Embassy REIT's industry-leading ESG programme has received multiple accolades from globally recognised institutions, including GRESB, USGBC LEED, the British Safety Council, among others. In 2023, Embassy REIT was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, becoming the first REIT in India to be recognised for its sustainability initiatives by a leading global benchmark. For more information, please visit www.embassyofficeparks.com.

memQ Unleashes Open Quantum Compiler Across Networks

memQ has just open-sourced its Distributed Quantum Compiler (DQC), a breakthrough framework that lets quantum programs run across multiple interconnected quantum processors instead of being limited to a single device. This release is designed to accelerate research into scalable, networked quantum computing.

Distributed Quantum Computing (DQC) is special because it connects multiple quantum processors (QPUs) into a single networked system, allowing them to share entangled states and execute computations collaboratively — overcoming the physical limits of scaling a single device.

memQ’s Distributed Quantum Compiler (DQC) is unique because it’s the first open-source framework designed to let quantum programs run across multiple interconnected quantum processors (QPUs), rather than being confined to a single device.

memQ is one of the few quantum companies focused not just on building bigger quantum processors, but on networking them together into an extensible quantum network architecture. This approach blends quantum science, advanced materials, and integrated photonics to enable scalable, resilient, and cost‑effective distributed quantum computing.

Unlike most quantum firms chasing qubit density on a single chip, memQ builds architectures that connect multiple quantum processing units (QPUs) through entangled photons, enabling scale‑out quantum computing.

memQ Open-Sources Distributed Quantum Compiler

memQ’s DQC is special because it transforms quantum computing from a single‑device paradigm into a distributed, network‑aware ecosystem, laying the foundation for the quantum internet.

Key Highlights of memQ’s DQC

• Open-source release: Available on GitHub under Apache-2.0 license, enabling global collaboration.
• Multi-QPU support: Compiles and schedules circuits across heterogeneous quantum processors connected via optical quantum channels.
• Modality-agnostic design: Works with different qubit technologies (superconducting, trapped ions, photonic, etc.).
• Quantum Network Constructor: Graphical tool to define processor layouts and interconnections.
• Partitioning engines: Includes dynamic interaction (Kernighan-Lin) and hypergraph partitioning (KaHyPar) to optimize entanglement use.
• Scheduling & verification: Discrete-event schedulers simulate photon arrivals and validate output equivalence.

Comparison: memQ DQC vs Conventional Quantum Compilers

Feature	memQ DQC	Conventional Compilers
Target	Multi-QPU distributed networks	Single QPU
Qubit Types	Modality-agnostic (multi-vendor)	Vendor-specific
Network Awareness	Models entanglement, teleportation, photon arrivals	No network-level modeling
Partitioning	Dynamic + hypergraph strategies	Static, single-processor
Scheduling	Time-resolved Gantt charts with stochastic events	Local gate scheduling only
Scalability	Hundreds of qubits across processors	Limited by single device capacity

Impact

• Policy alignment: Coincides with U.S. Executive Order 14413 (June 2026), mandating frameworks for distributed quantum computing.
• Research utility: Enables simulation of hundreds of qubits across 8 interconnected QPUs.
• Industry relevance: Provides a path to overcome scaling limits of single quantum computers, crucial for drug discovery, cryptography, and defense systems.

Challenges & Trade-offs

• Complexity: Cross-QPU operations require state teleportation or gate teleportation, adding overhead.
• Hardware constraints: Performance depends on entanglement generation rates, decoherence times, and link fidelities.
• Experimental stage: Current release is beta (v0.1.2), APIs may change and stability is not guaranteed.

What This Means for You

For researchers and developers in India and globally, memQ’s DQC provides a plug-and-play framework to experiment with distributed  quantum architectures without needing deep expertise in quantum networking. It’s a major step toward scalable, interoperable quantum computing.

Evanston, Illinois-headquartered memQ's DQC is special because it transforms quantum computing from a single‑device paradigm into a distributed, network‑aware ecosystem, laying the foundation for the quantum internet.

Beyond memQ, the distributed quantum compiler space includes both legacy research prototypes and newer open‑source frameworks like DQC1 (MLIR/LLVM‑based) and modular toolchains built around OpenQASM 3. These projects share the goal of partitioning circuits across multiple QPUs and enabling teleportation‑based remote gates.