NEW DELHI, Feb 16 — The India AI Impact Summit 2026, the world’s largest gathering of artificial intelligence leaders, opened on Monday to significant international interest at Bharat Mandapam. The five-day event has drawn thousands of technologists, policymakers, and industry founders, with India utilizing the platform to advocate for democratizing AI access and establishing a “global AI commons” to benefit the Global South.
While the high-profile sessions featuring Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Dario Amodei of Anthropic are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, February 18, the venue already saw standing-room-only audiences for discussions on AI governance and infrastructure. The summit, anchored on the pillars of “People, Planet, and Progress,” features over 500 sessions and 3,250 speakers, reflecting a massive surge in interest regarding sovereign compute capabilities and enterprise AI adoption.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the AI Impact Expo on Monday, affirmed that India stands at the forefront of the AI transformation. In an interview ahead of the summit, the Prime Minister stated that the country is ready to host the world’s data, citing recent budget incentives designed to position India as a globally competitive destination for data infrastructure. He maintained that data centers would become a primary job creator for the Indian youth and invited global firms to invest in India’s thriving digital ecosystem.
The final days of the summit, February 19 and 20, are expected to host more than 20 heads of state, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Organizers declared that the event marks a critical inflection point for global AI norms, as participants from over 45 countries deliberate on ethical governance and the role of AI in public service delivery.
