The India AI Impact Summit 2026 commenced in New Delhi today, 16th February, at Bharat Mandapam, positioning the country as a key convening ground for global artificial intelligence strategy, cross-border investment and enterprise technology collaboration.
The five-day event brings together government leaders, multinational technology firms, venture capital stakeholders, research institutions and high-growth startups to accelerate scalable and responsible AI deployment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the India AI Impact Expo, a large-format showcase featuring more than 600 startups and multiple international pavilions. The expo highlights production-ready AI use cases across healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, agriculture, mobility and public digital platforms, with a focus on real-world enterprise integration rather than experimental innovation.
Confirmed participation by global leaders including Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau underscores the growing alignment between AI policy, trade frameworks and supply-chain partnerships. Ministerial engagements and bilateral meetings are expected to prioritise semiconductor collaboration, trusted compute capacity, data governance standards and talent mobility.
For industry, the summit’s CEO roundtables and sector-focused tracks are centred on three strategic themes — workforce transformation, sustainable AI infrastructure and inclusive digital growth. Discussions are expected to translate into announcements around strategic alliances, R&D investments, innovation corridors and public–private partnerships.
The event also reflects India’s push to leverage its digital public infrastructure, deep developer base and expanding startup ecosystem to become a global AI development and deployment hub. With strong representation from venture funds and global system integrators, the platform is being viewed as a catalyst for capital deployment into India’s AI value chain.
Enhanced security protocols and traffic management measures have been implemented across central Delhi to ensure seamless movement of international delegations and business leaders.
From a corporate perspective, the summit signals a shift from policy intent to execution, with a clear emphasis on enterprise-scale adoption, future-ready skilling and long-term technology partnerships that can anchor India’s position in the global AI economy.
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