The fourth edition of India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, marks a historic milestone. It is being touted as the first major global AI gathering hosted in the Global South. The event has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centres on the themes of “People, Planet, and Progress.”
AI Summit: What to Expect?
Over the next five days Delhi will be hosting high-impact keynote addresses, policy-focused panel discussions and expert roundtables on artificial intelligence.
The Seven Chakras translate the guiding themes of the summit and translate into concrete areas of multilateral action. These themes include – human capital, inclusion, trust, resilience, science, resources, and social good to channel global collaboration towards measurable outcomes.
The event features a massive AI Impact Expo showcasing over 300 exhibitors and 600 startups, alongside high-level policy discussions and the launch of knowledge compendiums focusing on AI’s role in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and education.
Click Here to check the Sessions on 16 February, 2026
Key sessions and speakers:
The summit boasts an elite lineup of global tech leaders and dignitaries, reflecting India’s growing influence in the digital landscape.
High-profile attendees include OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, and Microsoft’s leadership, along with 15–20 Heads of Government and over 50 international ministers. Key sessions include a Research Symposium to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application, a Leaders’ Plenary for collective global partnerships, and a specialized GPAI Council Meeting.
These interactions are designed to democratize AI technology, ensuring that its benefits reach developing nations while maintaining rigorous governance standards.
Business leaders including Sunil Bharti Mittal of Airtel, N. Chandrasekaran of Tata Sons, philanthropist Bill Gates, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Dario Amodei of Anthropic, along with senior executives from Microsoft, Netflix, Zoom, and Amazon, are expected to deliberate on India-focused investment plans, AI strategy and roadmaps, job creation opportunities, and potential collaboration with the government to accelerate AI adoption.
Delhi Police has implemented extensive traffic restrictions:
Due to the influx of VVIPs and international delegates, the Delhi Police has implemented extensive traffic restrictions and advisories throughout the five-day event.
Commuters are warned of partial or full closures on nearly 50 major roads, including Mathura Road and Sardar Patel Marg, with peak disruptions expected on February 19 during the formal opening ceremony. Authorities recommend utilizing the Delhi Metro and public transport to avoid significant delays in Central Delhi. Despite these logistical challenges, the summit represents a pivotal moment for India to lead global discourse on AI ethics and innovation, positioning the country as a central hub for future technological governance.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: PM Modi will inaugurate the India AI Expo today, with global tech leaders such as Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman among the top CEOs in attendance—stay tuned here for live updates.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: PM Modi hails event - 'Together we will...'
"Inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam. Being here among innovators, researchers and tech enthusiasts gives a glimpse of the extraordinary potential of AI, Indian talent and innovation. Together, we will shape solutions not just for India but for the world!" he wrote on X.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Former HCL Tech CEO Vineet Nayar flags need for 'world class LLMs in India'
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Health Minister JP Nadda to launch 'SAHI' and 'BODH' initiatives
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will launch two key national initiatives, the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India (SAHI) and the Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI (BODH), at the India AI Summit at Bharat Mandapam, tomorrow (February 17).
SAHI is a national guidance framework aimed at enabling the safe, ethical, evidence-based, and inclusive adoption of Artificial Intelligence across India's healthcare ecosystem.
According to a press release, it aims to provide strategic direction for governance, data stewardship, validation, deployment, and monitoring of AI solutions, while supporting States and institutions in the responsible adoption of AI solutions aligned with public health priorities.
BODH, developed by the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in collaboration with the National Health Authority, is a privacy-preserving benchmarking platform that enables rigorous evaluation of AI models using diverse, real-world health data without sharing underlying datasets.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: PM Modi explores Artificial Intelligence innovation exhibits
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday explored multiple exhibition pavilions, engaging with startups, researchers, and technology leaders showcasing AI applications across sectors at the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, ahead of the inauguration of the Expo, marking the launch of the event that will run from February 16 to 20 alongside the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: PM Modi inaugurates event in Delhi and interacts with various AI startups across India at Bharat Mandapan
The British government said on Monday that it will focus on championing how artificial intelligence can supercharge growth, unlock new jobs, improve public services and deliver benefits for people across the globe during the AI Impact Summit.
Led by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and AI Minister Kanishka Narayan, the UK delegation is keen to highlight how AI can improve everyday life in every corner of the world and make the case for AI as an engine of renewal that can help doctors diagnose faster, teachers personalise learning, councils deliver services in minutes and businesses create the next generation of good jobs.
"This summit is an important moment in determining how we can work together with our international partners to unlock the full benefits and potential of AI, while baking in robust and fair safety standards that protect us all," said Lammy, in a pre-summit statement.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Ashwini Vaishnaw on how govt can counter AI deepfakes and disinformation
"Deep fakes and disinformation are attacking the foundation of our society and the root of trust between institutions created by society. AI models, creators will have to take responsibility for making sure that the new technology is strengthening the trust rather than belittling it," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Cisco India MD Says AI Drives Social Good for Future Generations
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Artificial intelligence is reshaping social good for future generations while enhancing key human capabilities, said Harish Krishnan, Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer of Cisco Systems India. Speaking at the AI Impact Summit 2026 during the session on “Democratising AI Resources for Economic Growth and Social Good,” Krishnan emphasized that the most valuable skills remain human, noting that “AI agents are doing it effectively,” according to ANI.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: NPCI Rolls Out UPI One World for Delegates
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: The National Payments Corporation of India has expanded its ‘UPI One World’ wallet service to international delegates at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. This enables foreign visitors to make UPI payments without an Indian mobile number or local bank account. The pilot service is available to delegates from over 40 countries attending the summit, held in New Delhi from February 16 to 20.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: AI Jobs Will Evolve, Not Vanish, Says AI4India Co-Founder Vempati
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Co-Founder of AI4India, stated that the AI Summit is taking place in India as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to bring global AI leaders to the country and highlight the impact of artificial intelligence in India.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: France Relations in Focus During Macron’s Visit
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: French President Emmanuel Macron will meet PM Narendra Modi in Mumbai on Tuesday before heading to New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron will visit Mumbai and Delhi from February 16 to 19.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: PM Modi to Kick Off AI Impact Expo at 5 PM
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the India AI Impact Expo at 5 PM on Monday, uniting innovators, startups, industry leaders, and public institutions on one platform. Keynote sessions, panel discussions, and roundtables will take place across Bharat Mandapam, Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, and Ambedkar Bhawan. The opening day will emphasize setting national priorities, fostering collaboration, and shaping the summit’s broader AI agenda.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: AI Adoption Needs Focus On Employment
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran stated that AI adoption requires a deliberate strategy to align technology with job creation. He emphasized the importance of strengthening education, enhancing skill quality, expanding labour-intensive service sectors, and removing regulatory obstacles to ensure that the benefits of AI reach the workforce.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Info Edge Founder: Youth Should Learn 10–15 AI Tools to Boost Productivity
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: On Monday, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Info Edge, emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) is boosting productivity rather than replacing jobs, urging young professionals to embrace AI tools or risk falling behind, according to ANI.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: India’s Growing Influence In AI, Says New Zealand Minister
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: New Zealand’s Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, Dr Shane Reti, hailed the event as global recognition of India’s rising influence in the AI sector. He noted that New Zealand sees India as a major player not just due to its scale but also its robust policy framework, expressing interest in closer collaboration. Reti emphasized that both nations recognize the importance of building public trust and securing a “social license” to fully harness AI’s benefits, highlighting the need to manage risks transparently while engaging in international dialogue.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: AI-generated misinformation has power to derail democracies: Prasada
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Jitin Prasada, urged caution in the use of AI tools, warning that AI-generated misinformation has the potential to undermine democratic systems. Speaking at the AI Impact Summit, he emphasized that while artificial intelligence can greatly enhance learning for both students and teachers, it should not be used as a shortcut that diminishes critical thinking or curiosity. He also stressed that AI cannot replace educators and that its risks in education must be carefully managed.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: UNDRR Highlights AI’s Critical Role in Disaster Management
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Sujit Mohanty of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) highlighted India’s extensive use of AI-driven predictive analysis in disaster management.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Shiprocket CEO says 'We need to create AI for Indian use cases and consumers'
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: "This event brings together innovators, startups, policy makers and enterprises to create the conversations on the same page. Hopefully, over time, this will lead to more collaborations. A big thanks to the government for putting this together. One thing is to use AI; we need to create AI for Indian use cases and consumers...There is a need for more digital public infrastructure to come around, Saahil Goel, MD and CEO of Shiprocket, told ANI news agency.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Raghav Chadha highlights compute power and talent gap in global AI race
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: AAP MP Raghav Chadha stated that the ongoing AI summit has firmly positioned India on the global stage in shaping discussions on artificial intelligence and technology governance. He also emphasized that nations with robust computing capabilities are likely to “rule the world,” highlighting the strategic significance of infrastructure and processing power in the AI era.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: List of India AI Impact Summit Prohibited Items
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: List of India AI Impact Summit Prohibited Items
> bags ( come empty handed )
> car keys ( park the car and throw away the keys )
> laptops ( it’s not necessary to bring a laptop to a tech event )
> earbuds ( listening is optional )
> food and water ( you there for a picnic ? )
> sharp objects ( including sharp and bold questions during panel discussions )
list of India AI Impact Summit Prohibited Items
— Kenzyy (@LayerKenzy) February 16, 2026
> bags ( come empty handed )
> car keys ( park the car and throw away the keys )
> laptops ( it’s not necessary to bring a laptop to a tech event )
> earbuds ( listening is optional )
> food and water ( you there for a picnic… pic.twitter.com/YJGM8yH58m
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: AI-Powered Bharat-VISTAAR to Launch Tomorrow
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: The Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources), an AI-powered multilingual platform for farmers, is set to be launched in Jaipur by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma. The system is designed to deliver agricultural guidance via mobile phones, offering support for crop planning, pest control, weather updates, and information on government schemes. Farmers can access the platform around the clock through an AI assistant named Bharati, ensuring timely and comprehensive assistance.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: AI must remain human-centric, says Vice President on India’s AI commitment
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Vice President of India C. P. Radhakrishnan stated that the AI Impact Summit 2026 highlights India’s leadership in a rapidly evolving tech landscape while promoting a people-first, democratic approach to AI. Aligning with the theme “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya,” he underscored India’s commitment to public welfare, accessibility, and global collaboration, aiming to connect the technological strengths of the Global North with the potential of the Global South.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates India to show off sovereign LLMs
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: With Narendra Modi scheduled to inaugurate the AI Impact Expo at Bharat Mandapam today at 5 PM, the exhibition is set to highlight newly launched, domestically developed AI language models from Indian startups and companies, including sovereign AI models from Sarvam AI and Bharatgen. The event may also feature announcements related to hardware, focusing on the expansion of India’s data centre capacity.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates Sarvam AI’s Product Launch Marathon
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Indian AI startup Sarvam AI has kicked off a 14-day campaign to unveil new AI products and initiatives. Most recently, it launched Sarvam Edge, an on-device AI model for speech recognition, speech synthesis, translation, and document digitisation.
Other key announcements from Sarvam over the past week include:Other key announcements from Sarvam over the past week include:
Bulbul V3: An upgraded text-to-speech AI model offering natural-sounding speech across diverse Indian regions, scripts, and accents.
Sarvam Vision: A 3-billion-parameter vision-language model capable of tasks such as image captioning, scene text recognition, chart interpretation, and complex table parsing.
Sarvam Samvaad: Conversational AI agents that integrate with enterprise tools to take action and generate insights from proprietary data.
Sarvam Audio: An audio extension of Sarvam 3B, a 3-billion-parameter language model pre-trained in English and 22 Indian languages.
Sarvam Dub: An AI dubbing model featuring zero-shot voice cloning, precise timing control, and cross-lingual speech capabilities, enabling creators to dub podcasts, educational content, and more into multiple Indian languages.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: New Standard Set for India-Centric AI Speech Models
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Led by IIT Madras, AI4Bharat has unveiled a new performance benchmark to assess speech recognition systems across 15 languages. Developed in collaboration with Josh Talks, the benchmark evaluates how effectively AI speech tools handle Indian-specific contexts, including diverse dialects, code-switching (Hindi-English, Tamil-English), background noise, and district-level variations.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Top Indian entrepreneurs to attend this event
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: The India AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) Report will be unveiled at the AI Impact Summit on February 16. Prepared by UNESCO in collaboration with the IndiaAI Mission and Ikigai Law, the report assesses India’s current ethical AI landscape, readiness, and provides actionable recommendations. The launch will feature a keynote by Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood, along with appearances by S Krishnan, Abhishek Singh, and UNESCO representatives.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Venue access schedule released
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Authorities have announced day-wise access timings for delegates at the AI Impact Summit 2026:
Feb 16: Convention Centre and Sushma Swaraj Bhawan open 9:30 AM–6 PM; Expo closed
Feb 17: All venues open 9:30 AM–6 PM; cultural event at 6:30 PM
Feb 18: Convention Centre and Expo 9:30 AM–4:30 PM; Sushma Swaraj Bhawan open till 6 PM
Feb 19: Restricted access at Convention Centre; Expo 11 AM–6 PM; inaugural session invite-only
Feb 20: All venues open 9:30 AM–6 PM; cultural event at 6 PM
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: CEA highlighted India could become a leading society
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran highlighted that India has the potential to become one of the largest societies where machine learning and human talent complement, rather than compete with, each other. Speaking at the "Future of Employability and AI" session of the AI Impact Summit 2026, Nageswaran emphasized that this transformation will not occur by chance. It requires strong political will, robust state capacity, and a national commitment to ensure that technological adoption supports widespread employability. He also underlined the need for a collaborative approach involving the private sector, academia, and policymakers.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Jitin Prasada says, 'It's not only about the government...'
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: “It's not only about the government making policies, but about every stakeholder, from industry to startups, to our young innovators and researchers. Every person has a stake and skin in the game,” Prasada said.
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Union Minister Jitin Prasada at the event
AI Impact Summit 2026 live updates: Speaking at the AI Impact Summit, Union Minister Jitin Prasada stated that “every person has a stake and skin in the game.”