New Delhi: India on Monday opened the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, bringing together world leaders, technology executives, policymakers, and startups for one of the largest artificial intelligence gatherings held in the developing world.
The five-day summit is being held at Bharat Mandapam and is being positioned by the government as a platform to amplify the voice of developing nations in global AI governance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event and said the theme of the summit reflects India’s commitment to using artificial intelligence for inclusive and human-centric development. He also visited several exhibition arenas at the parallel India AI Impact Expo, interacting with entrepreneurs, scientists, and innovators.
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to attend the summit during his official visit to India and will share the stage with Modi later this week.
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… pic.twitter.com/G370iXYAXm
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 16, 2026
Global Tech Leaders Attend
Top executives from major global AI companies are participating in the summit. These include Sundar Pichai of Alphabet Inc., Sam Altman of OpenAI, Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, and Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries.
India is seeking to attract more AI and cloud investments. Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet have already committed a combined $68 billion in AI and cloud infrastructure investment in India through 2030.
Focus on Applications, Not Mega Models
Unlike the United States and China, India has not yet developed a globally dominant frontier AI model. Instead, policymakers are focusing on large-scale deployment and application-led innovation.
The recent Economic Survey urged the government to prioritize practical AI applications rather than invest heavily in developing large foundational models. Under the IndiaAI Mission, the government is introducing 12 domestically developed foundation models created by Indian startups and research groups. These models are trained on Indian datasets and designed to support the country’s 22 official languages.
India has become a major AI user market. By late 2025, the country accounted for more than 72 million daily ChatGPT users, making it OpenAI’s largest user base globally.
However, experts have warned that rapid AI adoption could disrupt jobs in India’s $283 billion IT services sector. Investment bank Jefferies has projected that call centers could face up to a 50 percent revenue impact by 2030 due to automation.
India’s decisive stride into the AI-powered future!
PM @narendramodi Ji inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 today.
📍Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi pic.twitter.com/rSrvg5D5HT
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 16, 2026
Large-Scale Expo and International Participation
The India AI Impact Expo is being held alongside the summit and spans more than 70,000 square meters at Bharat Mandapam. More than 300 exhibitors and over 600 startups are showcasing AI solutions across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, climate, governance, and industry.
Thirteen countries, including Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and others, have set up dedicated pavilions to highlight international cooperation in AI.
Organizers expect over 250,000 visitors and thousands of delegates to attend the summit and expo. The large influx of visitors has also led to a sharp rise in hotel prices across New Delhi during the event.
With its AI market projected to cross $17 billion by 2027 and more than 800 million internet users, India is positioning itself as a key global hub for large-scale AI deployment and digital innovation.
