The India AI Impact Summit 2026, a landmark global event on artificial intelligence, is set to see the presence of a large number of world leaders, policymakers, tech executives, and innovators in New Delhi next week. Hosted by the Government of India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the IndiaAI Mission, the summit represents the first-ever global AI summit held in the Global South.
The event will take place from February 16 to 20, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. As per a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, as many as 20 world leaders will attend the event. This includes 7 Prime Ministers, 8 Presidents, 3 Vice Presidents and 2 Crown Princes.
Prime Ministers of Bhutan, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, the Netherlands, and the Presidents of Brazil, Estonia, France, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, and Switzerland are attending the event. Bolivia, Guyana and Seychelles will be represented by their Vice Presidents. Moreover, the crown princes of Liechtenstein and the UAE will attend the AI summit. The summit will be attended by several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
The summit shifts the global AI discourse from earlier emphases on safety and action to “impact” – delivering tangible, measurable outcomes through inclusive and responsible AI deployment.
The theme of the summit is ‘Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya – Welfare for All, Happiness of All’ and is based on 3 sutras or guiding principles: people, planet and progress. The theme aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of technology for public good, emphasizing sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, energy, climate, and sustainable development, with a focus on accessibility, ethical innovation, and benefits for the Global South.
AI for People, Planet and Progress.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) February 12, 2026
The upcoming India-AI Impact Summit is the first-ever global AI Summit to be hosted in the Global South.
The theme of this summit is ‘Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya – Welfare for All, Happiness of All' and is based on 3 sutras or guiding… pic.twitter.com/uQmeMartOz
The summit will focus on seven “chakras,” or priority areas, including Human Capital, Inclusion for Social Empowerment, Safe and Trusted AI, Resilience, Innovation and Efficiency, Science, Democratising AI Resources, and AI for Economic Growth and Social Good.
The event is expected to draw massive participation, including over 35,000 registrations, representatives from more than 100 countries, 300+ exhibitors, and multiple flagship elements like the India AI Impact Expo 2026 showcasing AI solutions for global good. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and convene the summit.
The summit also features prominent tech CEOs and industry leaders, including Sundar Pichai (Google), Sam Altman (OpenAI), Alexandr Wang (Meta), Jensen Huang (Nvidia), Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind), Dario Amodei (Anthropic), Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm), and others from companies like Mistral AI, Ericsson, Salesforce India, and more.
