INDIA is set to host the AI Impact Summit, a high-profile gathering of global leaders and industry heavyweights in Artificial Intelligence - a technology widely seen as one of the biggest disruptors since the advent of electricity. The summit, at the grand ‘Bharat Mandapam’ from February 16-20, will bring together policymakers, industry leaders and technology innovators at a time when nations are racing to define their AI agenda. For India, the event is as much about signalling capability as it is about intent - showcasing its deep talent pool, expanding digital public infrastructure and growing startup ecosystem, while positioning itself as a key architect of responsible, scalable and inclusive AI solutions for the world. Artificial Intelligence or AI has moved well beyond research labs and boardroom buzzwords -- it is reshaping healthcare delivery, transforming agriculture, recalibrating financial markets, redefining education systems and rewriting corporate strategy, even as it alters the very nature of work and, increasingly, everyday life. For India, the global summit underlines the nation’s intent to not merely be a participant, but a key architect in shaping the rules, standards and opportunities of the AI age.

 

At its core lies the ambition to secure a seat at the global high table of technology leadership and help shape the next phase of Artificial Intelligence development. “The key message we want to send is that whatever happens with AI needs to be human-centric and inclusive. There needs to be democratic access to AI resources, and it needs to be done in a way where people are at the centre of this process,” IT Secretary S Krishnan told PTI. At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many global leaders are scheduled to attend the AI Impact Summit, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Lula da Silva - the presence of these heads of state underscores the high-level international engagement and interest around the AI agenda. Russian President Vladimir Putin's senior aide Maxim Oreshkin will lead a large delegation for the AI Impact Summit being held in New Delhi from Monday. Ministerial delegations from over 45 countries would be participating in the summit. The UN Secretary General and senior officials from several international organisations will also join the deliberations. Prime Minister Modi will address the Summit, visit the Expo, and engage closely with the CEOs. The event will be closely watched globally as it unfolds, given that some of the biggest names shaping the tech narrative are slated to be part of it.

 

The summit has a blockbuster lineup of CEOs headlined by Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google), Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI), Demis Hassabis (CEO of DeepMind Technologies), Dario Amodei (Anthropic CEO), Brad Smith (Microsoft president) and many others. Modi to inaugurate AI Impact Expo 2026 on Monday: PRIME Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India AI Impact Expo 2026 at the Bharat Mandapam here on Monday, according to a PMO statement. PM Modi invites world to host data in India: WITH the Budget providing incentives to turbocharge investments in data centres, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pitched India as a global hub for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence, saying the country is ready to host the world’s data and lead the next wave of the technology revolution. “The tax incentives announced in the Budget are designed to accelerate investment in this space, lower the cost of building advanced facilities and position India as a globally-competitive destination for data infrastructure,” Modi said in an exclusive interview to PTI. In a strong global- outreach message, the Prime Minister said, “We invite the whole world’s data to reside in India!”