India’s digital public infrastructure, including the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), can be used by foreign delegates at the India AI Impact summit in New Delhi. The DigiYatra-based system and app-linked delivery through dark stores will also be available to those attending the summit.
A senior Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) official said the systems are being integrated to handle high delegate volumes and reduce friction in access, payments, and on-ground logistics. “We are enabling a fully digital flow, from QR-based entry and app-based navigation to UPI payments for international visitors and on-demand services within the venue,” the official said.
Foreign delegates will be able to onboard onto UPI at the airport by linking their international cards, allowing them to transact locally without cash. At the venue, entry will be managed through QR codes issued via the event application, which will also provide schedules and navigation across multiple halls.
Frictionless Diplomacy
Officials expect total footfalls to exceed two lakh over five days of the summit starting Monday.
To manage demand within the venue, organisers have tied up with delivery platforms like Zepto and Swiggy to operate dark stores on site. These will support quick delivery of food and essential items.
Hyper-Local Logistics
The event is expected to see participation from over 100 delegations, including more than 20 heads of state and government, around 40 ministers, and close to 100 CEOs. In addition, 450 startups will showcase products across sectors, with country participation from Europe, Asia, and Africa.
As thousands of delegates begin arriving in the capital for one of the country’s largest global technology gatherings, the government plans to use the event not just as a policy platform, but as a real-time demonstration of its digital public infrastructure (DPI) stack in action, officials indicated.