When New Delhi hosts the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16 to 20, the government is positioning it as a shift in global artificial intelligence diplomacy away from fear-led regulation and towards real-world deployment, inclusion and development outcomes.
Unlike earlier global AI summits focused on safety frameworks or binding rules, India’s summit will priorities actionable recommendations that demonstrate how AI can deliver measurable public value, particularly for the Global South. The event, hosted at Bharat Mandapam, is being billed as the first global AI summit held in the Global South.
The summit is organized around three core principles — People, Planet and Progress. These focus on human-centric AI for public services, sustainable and energy-conscious AI systems, and productivity-led growth for developing economies still building digital capacity.
India’s approach builds on the trajectory set by earlier summits in the UK, South Korea and France, but deliberately shifts the emphasis from regulation to outcomes. Officials say the goal is to align AI governance with welfare, inclusion and sustainability rather than treating AI as a purely strategic or commercial race.
The scale of participation underscores India’s ambition. Delegates from over 100 countries are expected, including multiple heads of government, ministers and global technology leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the summit.
Beyond diplomacy, India will use the platform to showcase domestic capability, including a large startup exhibition, research symposiums and the launch of indigenous AI language models under the IndiaAI Mission.
The summit’s scale has already impacted Delhi’s hospitality sector, with luxury hotel rates surging sharply due to near-full occupancy and high international demand.
India bets on impact-first approach at global AI summit in Delhi
