AI Summit New Delhi 2026

India has launched one of the world’s most significant artificial intelligence gatherings as it seeks to carve out a decisive role in shaping the future of global AI development.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 began on Monday in New Delhi, drawing an unprecedented mix of world leaders, technology executives, AI researchers, startup founders, and global investors. The summit is being seen as one of the largest congregations of artificial intelligence decision-makers ever hosted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using the platform to project India as a serious contender in the race to develop next-generation AI systems, highlighting the country’s engineering talent, digital public infrastructure, and vast user base.

🌍 AI Expo 2026: Showcasing AI in Action

Running alongside the summit, the AI Impact Expo will feature 300+ curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations built around three guiding pillars:

• People
• Planet
• Progress

More than 600 emerging startups and 13 international country pavilions are participating, highlighting cross-border collaboration and India’s rapidly expanding AI ecosystem. The Expo brings together industry giants, academia, research institutions, and central and state governments.

🛣️ Day 1 Focus: AI for Road Safety

The opening day places strong emphasis on Artificial Intelligence for Road Safety, with experts from the Ministry of Transport, IITs, and private industry discussing how data-driven AI models can save lives.

Key discussions include:

• Analysing crash patterns using large datasets
• Predicting accident-prone zones through AI models
• Hyperlocal risk mapping and early-warning systems
• AI-enabled driver training and safer mobility solutions

The goal is to shift from reactive responses to predictive and preventive road safety systems.

🎓 AI, Jobs & Future Skills

A high-level leadership session will examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping global employment, redefining skill requirements, and transforming the future of work.

Experts will explore:

• New job creation through AI
• Workforce reskilling at scale
• Managing job displacement responsibly
• Preparing youth for AI-driven economies

⚖️ Transforming India’s Judicial System with AI

Another key session focuses on AI-powered judicial reforms, highlighting how technology can enhance transparency and efficiency in India’s courts.

Proposed applications include:

• Predictive analytics for informed decisions
• Automated case management systems
• AI-assisted legal research
• Virtual courts and faster dispute resolution

These innovations aim to reduce pendency, improve access to justice, and strengthen trust in the legal system.

🌾 Smart & Resilient Agriculture

A special session on AI for climate-resilient agriculture will explore how data and machine intelligence can support sustainable farming, efficient resource use, and climate adaptation — translating research into real-world solutions for farmers.

🧭 Culture, Ethics & Inclusive AI

Discussions will also address culturally grounded AI, stressing that many AI failures stem not from technology gaps but from ignoring social norms and local realities. The summit reinforces the need for human-centric and ethically aligned AI systems.

🌐 A Global South Milestone

This is the first AI summit of its kind hosted in the Global South, reinforcing India’s growing leadership in responsible and inclusive AI governance. The summit builds on months of global consultations held in cities like Paris, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, and Geneva.

Anchored in the guiding principles of People, Planet, and Progress, the summit seeks to ensure that artificial intelligence drives inclusive growth, social development, and environmental protection.

🌍 Global AI Heavyweights Gather in India

Senior leaders from some of the world’s most influential AI companies are attending the summit, including executives from Alphabet, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, alongside globally renowned researchers and founders driving frontier AI research.

The final phase of the summit will feature a keynote address by Emmanuel Macron, followed by remarks from PM Modi, underscoring the geopolitical and economic importance attached to artificial intelligence governance.

🚀 India’s Digital Scale as a Competitive Advantage

Government officials and industry experts say India’s strength lies in its ability to deploy AI at population scale. With digital identity, payments, healthcare, education, and governance platforms already serving over a billion people, India is attempting to compress decades of development into a much shorter time frame by layering AI over existing digital systems.

India’s technology evolution has followed a familiar pattern — missing early waves such as personal computers but rapidly scaling later technologies, from software services to smartphones. Policymakers believe artificial intelligence could follow a similar trajectory.

🌐 Exporting India’s Digital Blueprint

India’s digital public infrastructure is already finding global traction. Open-source identity and payments frameworks inspired by Aadhaar are being adopted or adapted by several countries across Asia and Africa, reinforcing India’s ambition to shape technology beyond its borders.

According to global benchmarks, India now ranks among the top three countries in AI competitiveness, behind only the United States and China.

🧠 Global Tech Firms Double Down on India

Major AI companies are expanding their footprint in India, targeting enterprises, developers, and public sector agencies. Data centers are being scaled to serve rising demand for AI tools, while global chipmakers view India as an increasingly strategic market amid shifting geopolitical constraints.

At the same time, analysts caution that India must significantly increase long-term investment in advanced research if it wants to avoid becoming merely a testing ground for overseas AI models.

🗣️ Building AI for Indian Languages & Voices

A major focus of the summit is the development of India-specific AI systems, particularly voice-first models designed for the country’s linguistic diversity.

Government-backed initiatives and private startups are unveiling large language models that support multiple Indian languages and dialects, aiming to make AI accessible and affordable for millions of users across education, healthcare, governance, and agriculture.

Projects such as BharatGen and Sarvam AI are positioning low-cost, locally trained models as alternatives to expensive global systems, with affordability seen as a critical driver of adoption in emerging economies.

💰 Affordability as a Strategic Differentiator

Industry leaders say India’s AI strategy deliberately prioritises cost efficiency over cutting-edge scale alone. The goal is to accelerate adoption in sectors that directly affect daily life — classrooms, clinics, courts, and farms — while generating indigenous data to fuel future innovation.

Experts believe this focus could give India an edge in the developing world, where cost and accessibility often determine whether AI technologies succeed or fail.

🔮 What Comes Next for India’s AI Ambition?

While challenges remain — particularly in deep research funding and advanced model training — many believe India could leapfrog competitors by concentrating on areas such as scientific reasoning, robotics, and real-world data applications beyond the internet.

As the summit unfolds, India is positioning itself not just as a consumer of artificial intelligence, but as a rule-shaper, builder, and exporter of AI systems designed for global impact.

🧩 PM Modi’s Vision

In a message welcoming global delegates, PM Modi said the summit reflects the talent of India’s youth and the nation’s rapid progress in science and technology. He described the theme “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” as a commitment to using AI for the welfare and happiness of all.

🌐 Key Global Tech CEOs & AI Leaders

🇮🇳 Prominent Indian Tech & Business Leaders Attending

🌍 World Leaders & Heads of State

Confirmed or widely reported world leaders attending include: