New Delhi, February 9, 2026 – India gears up for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, set for February 16-20 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, the primary venue for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which will host the main events on February 19-20.

Hosted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), this first Global South edition, billed by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw as the “largest yet,” transitions AI discourse from vision to verifiable impact under the “Three Sutras”: People, Planet, and Progress.

Some sources mention a broader program across February 16-20, potentially using additional Delhi venues like Sushma Swaraj Bhawan for side events, sessions, or exhibitions. Bharat Mandapam, one of India’s largest convention centers, was upgraded by NDMC for this flagship gathering.

Chief Guests and Stellar Lineup

Prime Minister Narendra Modi serves as the Chief Guest, inaugurating on February 16 with a keynote and hosting a leaders’ dinner. Expected heads of government include representatives from Singapore, the UAE, and Brazil (15-20 total), plus 50+ ministers.

Key speakers feature Google’s Sundar Pichai, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, and Indian luminaries like Nandan Nilekani (Infosys co-founder) and Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal. Over 40 CEOs from Reliance, TCS, and global firms join, along with a Chinese delegation, signaling a thaw in collaboration.

Event Schedule and Dialogues

• Feb 16: Inauguration, Modi address, CEO roundtable.
• Feb 17-18: Plenary sessions and seven “Chakras” (working groups) on core topics.
• Feb 19: Startup showcase (500+ ventures), AI model launches, bilateral dialogues.
• Feb 20: Closing with actionable declarations.

Expect 500+ parallel sessions, hackathons, and exhibitions. Dialogues include G20-style tracks on AI ethics, public-private partnerships, and Global South priorities.

Participating Governments in India AI Impact Summit 2026

The summit, hosted by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the IndiaAI Mission, expects involvement from over 100 countries. Key highlights:

• High-Level Representation: 15-20 heads of government and 50+ ministers confirmed, including from Singapore, UAE, Brazil, and others.

• China: Delegation attending after India’s formal invitation, signaling AI collaboration.

• Preceding Hosts: Builds on summits by UK (2023 Bletchley), South Korea (2024 Seoul), France (2025 Paris).​

• Collaborators: NITI Aayog (India’s policy think tank), state governments like Uttarakhand (pre-summit host), and international bodies (ITU, World Economic Forum).​

• Global Engagement: Multinational working groups across Chakras, with US, UK, EU, and ASEAN nations active in prep consultations.​

Key Topics and Seven Chakras

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is structured around three foundational “Sutras” (People, Planet, Progress) that guide its discussions, with seven interconnected “Chakras” (working groups) translating these into specific, actionable themes.​

Core Sutras

• People: Focuses on human-centric AI, including safeguarding rights, enhancing access to services (e.g., healthcare, education), building user trust, workforce reskilling amid job impacts, and ensuring equitable benefits across societies.​
• Planet: Addresses sustainable AI deployment, such as energy-efficient models, responsible resource use (e.g., reducing GPU/data center power demands), and AI applications for climate action, environmental monitoring, and resilience.
• Progress: Emphasizes inclusive innovation, capacity-building, productivity gains in sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, economic growth, and bridging the AI divide for the Global South.​

Seven Chakras (Key Discussion Topics)
These working groups, involving 100+ countries, cover:

• AI governance and ethical frameworks.
• Trust and safety protocols for AI models (e.g., bias mitigation, transparency).
• AI’s impact on work and future jobs.
• Sector-specific applications (healthcare, agriculture, industry).
• Innovation and scalable solutions.
• Sustainability and environmental integration.
• Equitable access, inclusion, and development outcomes.​

Sessions will also spotlight IndiaAI Mission launches, startup innovations, and global standards, prioritizing “on-ground” results over regulations.

What to Expect in India AI Summit?

MeitY leads with partners like NITI Aayog, NASSCOM, World Economic Forum, and ITU. Corporate backers include Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA (GPU focus), and Indian firms like Tata and Adani (data centers).

Governments from US, UK, EU, and ASEAN collaborate. Attendees (10,000+), policymakers, researchers, startups, NGOs, can expect networking zones, live demos (e.g., edge AI), policy labs, and a “Global AI Talent Fair.” Launches include indigenous foundational models under the Rs 10,370 crore IndiaAI Mission.

India’s Strategic Push Amid Hurdles

Echoing Bletchley (2023), Seoul (2024), and Paris (2025), India’s summit prioritizes “on-ground” wins for 1.4 billion people, as per Secretary S. Krishnan. AI could add $500B to GDP (NASSCOM), but challenges like GPU imports persist—eased by US trade deals and data center tax holidays to 2047. Budget 2026-27 tweaks fund nuclear-powered AI infra, as Vaishnaw eyes energy self-reliance.

Vaishnaw hailed “phenomenal” global buy-in, with NDMC upgrading venues. Beyond talks, expect MoUs on compute sharing, talent visas, and sustainable AI pacts, positioning India as an AI diplomacy hub.

This summit promises not just dialogue, but deliverables: inclusive, green AI for humanity’s progress.