“AI should be used for shaping humanity, inclusive growth and a sustainable future.” — Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister, MeitY
From February 16 to 20, 2026, New Delhi hosted the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam — the most significant artificial intelligence summit the world has seen, and the first ever global AI summit held in the Global South. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the five-day programme brought together 20 world leaders, 45 ministerial delegations, and 300+ exhibitors from 30 countries, with an expected footfall of 2,50,000 visitors.
The summit is the fourth in a series that began with the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (UK, 2023), followed by the AI Seoul Summit (South Korea, 2024) and the AI Action Summit (Paris, 2025). India’s edition is not merely a continuation — it signals a strategic pivot in global AI governance: from theoretical safety debates toward inclusive, impact-driven development.
📜 What Is the India AI Impact Summit?
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is an international summit on artificial intelligence hosted by the Government of India at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. It is a five-day programme covering AI policy, research, industry showcase, and public engagement.
The summit belongs to a series of high-level global AI gatherings. It follows the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (UK, 2023), the AI Seoul Summit (South Korea, 2024), and the AI Action Summit (Paris, France, 2025). The shifting titles — from “Safety” to “Action” to “Impact” — track a global shift in priorities: the conversation is moving from theoretical AI risk toward practical, inclusive development outcomes.
Most significantly, this is the first global AI summit ever hosted in the Global South — a distinction with deep symbolic and strategic weight for India’s claim to global technology leadership.
Think of this like a global climate summit — but for artificial intelligence. World leaders, tech CEOs, and researchers gather to set norms, share research, and announce initiatives. India hosting it is like a developing country chairing the UN Security Council — it signals a major shift in who gets to shape global rules.
✨ The Three Sutras: Foundational Pillars
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is structured around three foundational pillars called “Sutras” — a deliberate nod to India’s philosophical tradition of condensing wisdom into core principles.
- People — Promoting human-centric AI that safeguards rights, enhances access to services, builds trust, and ensures equitable benefits. This pillar addresses concerns around job displacement, digital inclusion, and democratisation of AI tools.
- Planet — Aligning AI deployment with environmental sustainability goals, including using AI to tackle climate change, optimise energy use, and support green innovation.
- Progress — Translating AI research and global policy dialogue into measurable development outcomes, particularly for emerging economies and the Global South.
Together, the three Sutras define India’s philosophy: that AI must not merely be a tool for economic growth in wealthy nations, but a force for equitable global development.
Three Sutras = 3 P’s: People, Planet, Progress. Remember: “3 P’s Power the Summit” — an easy mnemonic for MCQ recall.
| Sutra | Focus Area | Key Concern Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| People | Human-centric AI | Job displacement, digital inclusion, equitable access |
| Planet | Sustainability | Climate change, energy optimisation, green AI |
| Progress | Development outcomes | Global South growth, policy-to-action translation |
👤 Global Attendees: World Leaders & Tech Giants
The summit drew an extraordinary roster of global figures. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event, stating: “This occasion is further proof that our country is progressing rapidly in the field of science and technology.”
Among the most notable tech executives who attended were Sam Altman (CEO, OpenAI), Sundar Pichai (CEO, Alphabet/Google), and Dario Amodei (CEO, Anthropic). Their presence underscores India’s growing status — not just as a consumer market, but as an essential partner in the global AI ecosystem. The summit also hosted 20 national leaders and 45 ministerial delegations, making it one of the largest AI-focused diplomatic gatherings in history.
Don’t confuse the summit series order: UK (2023) → South Korea (2024) → France (2025) → India (2026). The India summit is the 4th in the series, NOT the 3rd. The Paris summit (France, 2025) came immediately before India’s edition.
⚖️ The Seven Chakras: Thematic Working Groups
Beyond the three Sutras, the summit is structured around Seven Chakras — thematic working groups that translate broad principles into actionable policy frameworks. Like the Sutras, the “Chakra” framing is a deliberate invocation of Indian philosophical tradition to frame a global technology agenda.
- AI for Governance — Using AI to improve public service delivery and democratic processes
- Safe and Trusted AI — Strengthening governance capacity and accountability mechanisms
- AI for Inclusive Societies — Ensuring AI benefits reach marginalised and informal workers
- AI for Sustainable Development — Climate, agriculture, and environmental applications
- AI Innovation and Entrepreneurship — Supporting startups and research ecosystems
- AI Workforce and Skills — Preparing the global workforce for AI-driven transformation
- AI for Global South — Amplifying the voices of developing nations in AI governance
India chose to name its framework elements “Sutras” and “Chakras” — ancient Sanskrit concepts — in an international AI summit. What does this linguistic and cultural framing signal about India’s approach to global technology governance? Is it soft power, or substantive philosophical reframing?
📌 Key Initiatives Launched at the Summit
Several landmark programmes were announced during the five-day summit:
- AI for All: Global Impact Challenge — A joint initiative with Startup India and Digital India BHASHINI, inviting global innovators to showcase pilot-ready AI solutions for large-scale impact.
- YUVAi: Global Youth Challenge — For innovators aged 13–21, implemented with MyBharat and NIELIT, with prizes up to ₹85 lakh.
- Women in AI Challenge — Implemented with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform, awarding up to ₹2.50 crore for women technologists addressing real-world public challenges.
- Research Symposium on AI and its Impact — Held on February 18, 2026, with IIIT Hyderabad as knowledge partner.
- India AI Governance Guidelines — Released at the summit. India has opted for a light-touch regulatory approach, favouring regulatory sandboxes and human-led accountability over prescriptive rules.
- IndiaAI Startups Global Initiative — Selected 10 Indian AI startups for a global acceleration programme in partnership with Station F (Paris) and HEC Paris.
🌍 India’s AI Story: Why India Is Ready
India’s decision to host this summit reflects a deliberate national strategy, backed by credible data points:
- AI Talent Leadership: According to the Stanford AI Index Report 2025, India leads global AI talent acquisition with approximately 33% annual hiring growth and ranks among the top 3 nations in the Global AI Vibrancy Tool.
- IndiaAI Mission: The government’s flagship programme is funding 500 PhD scholars, 5,000 postgraduate students, and 8,000 undergraduates in AI research and training under the IndiaAI FutureSkills initiative.
- Semiconductor Ambitions: India has approved $18 billion in semiconductor projects to build domestic AI infrastructure independence.
- Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): India’s experience with Aadhaar, UPI, and ONDC is being presented as a replicable model for Global South nations seeking to deploy AI at scale at near-zero marginal cost.
- GCC Surge: More than 60% of Global Capability Centres established in India in the last two years are focused on AI, data, digital engineering, or product development.
🌍 Geopolitical Context: India’s Third Way
The summit arrives at a pivotal moment in global AI geopolitics. The 2025 Paris AI Action Summit was defined by US Vice President JD Vance’s speech cautioning against “excessive regulation” — a direct rebuke of European regulatory efforts. The EU has advanced its comprehensive AI Act framework, while the US under its current administration favours minimal regulatory constraint.
India’s summit signals a third path: a development-first approach that neither adopts the permissive laissez-faire stance of the US nor the comprehensive regulatory framework being built in Europe. India is positioning itself as a pragmatic bridge — open for investment and innovation, but anchored in a vision of AI serving public welfare. The summit is also likely to produce a non-binding declaration of shared principles, consistent with the precedent set by previous summits.
The India AI Impact Summit represents India’s attempt to position itself as the “Global South’s voice” in AI governance — much as it has in climate negotiations and WTO trade forums. Is this a viable long-term strategy? What institutional capacity would India need to sustain this leadership role?
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The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — not at Vigyan Bhawan or Pragati Maidan, which are common exam trap options.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is the 4th in the global series: UK (2023), South Korea (2024), France (2025), India (2026).
The Three Sutras are People, Planet, and Progress — all beginning with P. Policy, Privacy and Progress is an incorrect combination.
According to the Stanford AI Index Report 2025, India leads global AI talent acquisition with approximately 33% annual hiring growth.
India approved $18 billion worth of semiconductor projects to build domestic AI infrastructure. This figure is frequently tested.
