India launched the AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 16 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, positioning the nation as a pivotal voice in shaping inclusive global AI governance. The five-day event (February 16-20) convenes over 3,250 speakers, 650 exhibitors from 30+ countries, and 100+ nations—including heads of state from France (Emmanuel Macron) and Brazil (Lula da Silva)—to forge a consensus on AI’s role in economic growth, human capital, and sustainability.
Star-Studded Lineup
Tech giants dominate: Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis, Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen, Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon, plus Bill Gates and Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani. Sessions shift focus from AI safety to tangible impact, with 500+ discussions on ethical deployment, resource democratization, and Global South needs.
Agenda Highlights
- Three Pillars (Sutras): People (skilling, inclusion), Planet (sustainability), Progress (innovation).
- Seven Chakras: Working groups present outcomes on healthcare, agriculture, governance.
- Key Events: CEO Roundtable (Feb 19), Leaders’ Plenary (Feb 20) yielding a landmark Declaration; expo with 10 pavilions, B2B matchmaking.
India’s Vision
Backed by $70B+ commitments from Google, Microsoft, Amazon (up to $68B by 2030), PM Modi invited global data to India’s centers for youth jobs and AI ecosystem growth. The summit builds on Bletchley, Seoul, Paris forums, emphasizing indigenous solutions and $50-80B new investments.
