New Delhi – India will host the first global artificial intelligence summit in the Global South when the India AI Impact Summit 2026 takes place in New Delhi from February 19 to 20, bringing together world leaders, policymakers, technology firms, researchers and media to discuss inclusive and people centred use of AI.
The summit was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is being organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the IndiaAI Mission and Digital India programme. It is expected to attract participants from governments, industry, academia, civil society and international organisations, with foreign journalists invited to apply for accreditation through the official summit website.
According to organisers, the meeting comes at a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping economies, societies and global power relations. For developing countries, AI is being positioned as a tool that can help accelerate development by expanding access to services in areas such as health, education, agriculture and governance through multilingual and multimodal technologies.
Despite growing international agreements on responsible AI, including commitments made under the G20, United Nations and African Declaration on AI, organisers say there remains a wide gap between policy discussions and real world outcomes. AI resources and capabilities continue to be concentrated in a few countries and corporations, limiting locally relevant solutions for the Global South.
The India AI Impact Summit is expected to focus on moving global discussions from broad commitments to practical outcomes. It will build on earlier forums held in the United Kingdom, South Korea, France and Africa, while giving stronger representation to developing nations in shaping global AI governance.
Deliberations at the summit will be guided by three core principles referred to as Sutras, namely People, Planet and Progress. These principles frame AI as a tool that should respect human dignity and cultural diversity, support environmental sustainability and drive inclusive economic and social development.
The discussions will be structured around seven thematic areas known as Chakras. These include human capital development, inclusion for social empowerment, safe and trusted AI, resilience and innovation, science, democratizing AI resources, and AI for economic growth and social good.
A wide range of global figures from the technology sector, academia and policy circles are expected to attend. Listed participants include senior executives from companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Ericsson and Adobe, alongside leaders from international organisations and civil society. High profile speakers named by organisers include Bill Gates of the Gates Foundation, World Economic Forum president Børge Brende and Creative Commons chief executive Anna Tumadóttir.
The summit will also feature flagship events such as the India AI Impact Expo 2026, global innovation challenges focused on youth and women, research symposiums and exhibitions showcasing AI applications from India and other countries.
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