AI Impact Summit 2026: New Delhi to host global leaders next week

New Delhi will host the AI Impact Summit 2026 from Feb 16-20, an unprecedented gathering of world leaders, tech giants, and policymakers. As the first international AI summit in the Global South, it aims to shape an inclusive and ethical AI future.

As New Delhi transforms itself into the epicentre of the world's most consequential conversation on artificial intelligence, an unprecedented roster of Presidents, Prime Ministers, Crown Princes, and the brightest minds from Silicon Valley and beyond will converse at the Bharat Mandapam as India is set to host the AI Impact Summit 2026 next week.

From February 16 to 20, the Impact Summit, the first international AI summit hosted in the Global South, showcases New Delhi's ambition: to shape an AI future that is inclusive, responsible, and impactful.

Global Leadership and Diplomatic Presence

French President Emmanuel Macron, making his fourth visit to India, will arrive with a clear focus on deepening AI cooperation and emerging technologies. His presence underscores the strength of the India-France strategic partnership, culminating in the joint inauguration of the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 in Mumbai. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit from February 18 to 22, leading a large business delegation of up to 200 executives eager to forge new ties in this burgeoning market. Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, fresh from his own AI engagements in Paris last year, will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi and highlight Finland's prowess in ethical AI innovation, accompanied by executives from Nokia and two dozen other cutting-edge firms. Slovakia's President Peter Pellegrini is set to meet PM Modi and other leaders, emphasising technological sovereignty and responsible AI as strategic priorities for his nation. The United Arab Emirates will be represented by Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who will lead a delegation on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. And in a powerful nod to multilateralism, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will join the fray, alongside ministerial delegations from over 45 countries.

The full list of heads of state and government is dazzling: Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Bolivia's Vice President Edmand Lara Montano, Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Estonia's President Alar Karis, Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Guyana's Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Liechtenstein's Hereditary Prince Alois, Mauritius's Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, Spain's President Pedro Sanchez, Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Seychelles' Vice President Sebastien Pillay, Switzerland's President Guy Parmelin, and the Netherlands' Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

Tech Titans and Industry Powerhouses

Beyond the world leaders, the summit's real energy is expected to come from the tech industry's heavyweights, who see India not just as a participant but as a pivotal player in AI's next chapter. Leading the charge from the United States is a powerhouse delegation organised by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and the US-India Business Council (USIBC)--the largest American industry presence at such an event to date. The delegation from the USISPF will be co-led by Adobe Chairman and CEO Shantanu Narayen and FedEx President and CEO Raj Subramaniam, and will include more than 120 senior executives from more than 100 companies, including luminaries such as Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. White House adviser Michael Kratsios, Assistant to US President Donald Trump and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, will lead the official US government delegation, joined by senior officials from the US Department of State, Commerce, and other agencies. "Looking forward to leading the US delegation to the AI Impact Summit in India this month," Kratsios posted on X, adding, "America is setting the gold standard for AI innovation, and we want to share it with our global partners."

Vishal Sikka, founder and CEO of Vianai Systems and a vocal champion of India's AI ecosystem, captured the excitement perfectly: "India is so important to AI that this is really going to be, I think, the best AI conference that has ever happened in the last several years." He pointed to India's unique blend of talent, infrastructure, and societal challenges as the perfect crucible for tackling AI's biggest questions--from energy demands to ethics and safety. John Chambers, Chairman of USISPF, echoed the optimism: "As Prime Minister Modi said best, AI stands for America and India." The delegation's mission is clear: to accelerate collaboration across AI infrastructure, quantum computing, critical minerals, and trusted technologies, under the banner of "Together, we can lead the future of AI."

Broad International and Bilateral Engagements

Even former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will lend his voice, addressing a curtain-raiser event organised by Carnegie India titled "AI for All: Reimagining Global Cooperation". Iran's participation, led by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Sattar Hashemi, signals deepening tech bonds, while a high-level Israeli delegation--headed by Ilan Fluss, policy coordinator at Israel's Foreign Ministry--will spotlight bilateral innovation in AI for climate resilience and ethical governance. "India and Israel have a joint responsibility to lead with innovation guided by ethics," Fluss declared.

India's Sovereign AI Vision

At the core is India's audacious vision for sovereign AI. Under the IndiaAI Mission, the country is unveiling 12 indigenous foundation models developed by homegrown startups and consortia, trained on vast Indian datasets and tailored to the nation's 22 official languages. From Sarvam AI's multilingual reasoning engines to BharatGen's sector-specific tools from IIT Bombay, Gnani AI's voice-first breakthroughs, and Fractal Analytics' pioneering reasoning models--these innovations promise to democratise AI for everything from agriculture to healthcare and governance. The summit will showcase them alongside the AI Impact Expo, a sprawling 70,000-square-metre showcase of real-world applications, from precision farming to accessible education.

Summit Structure and Thematic Focus

The agenda is structured around three guiding "sutras"--People, Planet, and Progress--with seven thematic "chakras" delving into skilling, sustainable AI, trusted governance, and economic empowerment. Seven working groups, co-chaired by voices from the Global North and South, will deliver actionable proposals: shared compute resources, AI commons for the public good, and compendia of use cases that could transform lives in the developing world.

A Declaration of Intent for a Human-Centric AI Era

For India, a nation projected to see its AI market surge past USD 17 billion by 2027, this summit is more than a diplomatic triumph--it's a declaration of intent. With 800 million internet users, a booming startup scene, and world-class digital public infrastructure, India is positioning itself as the bridge between innovation and impact.

As PM Modi himself has said, "We are at the dawn of the AI age that will shape the course of humanity. Some people worry about machines becoming superior in intelligence to humans. But no one holds the key to our collective future and shared destiny other than us humans." As the world's eyes turn to New Delhi, the India AI Impact Summit 2026 isn't just about technology--it's about rewriting the rules of the AI era. In a world racing toward intelligent machines, India is ensuring that the future remains equitable, ethical, and human. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)