India AI Impact Summit 2026 begins in New Delhi from today: All you need to know

Preparations are in the final phase and in full swing for India AI Impact Summit 2026, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening (February 16) at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 will be held from February 16-20. This is the fourth AI Summit, after summits in the UK, South Korea, and France. This is the first major global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South.

PM Modi is scheduled to address the main plenary session on February 19, and will meet about 30-40 CEOs on the sidelines of the summit.

Heads of nations, global tech leaders to attend

Global tech leaders like Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, DeepMind Technologies CEO Demis Hassabis, Angthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Microsoft president Brad Smith are expected to attend the Summit.

Leaders of about 20 countries including France, Brazil, Estonia, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Serbia, Finland, Bolivia, Guyana, Seychelles, Greece, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Mauritius, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Croatia, Estonia, and the Netherlands are expected to grace the occasion, according to the External Affairs Ministry.

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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, crown princes of UAE and Lichtenstein, and former British prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Tony Blair will be present.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates is expected to attend the Summit. Gates will be in Andhra Pradesh on Monday (February 16) for meetings with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and others to discuss various issues related health development and digital technologies.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, who was to be one of the important speakers, has pulled out of the event due to unforeseen circumstances.

More than 3,000 speakers

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said the event would feature more than 3,000 speakers over 500 sessions.

The organisers hope to attract more than 2.5 lakh visitors to the event, including international delegates. There will be an “all-woman hackathon” on Tuesday.

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The Expo will feature 13 country pavilions, showcasing international collaboration in the AI ecosystem. These include pavilions from Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan, and Africa.

The expo will also host over 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations, structured across three thematic chakras - people, planet, and progress.

Big Tech’s interest in India

Global tech firms’ interest in India is understandable given the fact that India generates nearly 20 per cent of the world’s data, has the second-largest AI workforce in the world, and has more than 700 million internet users.

AI companies spending billions on development are eyeing India’s potentially huge customer base. Microsoft has already committed USD 17.5 billion over four years to set up AI infrastructure in India.

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OpenAI has established a dedicated India sales division. Google is partnering with the government and with Physics Wallah to intensify the role of AI in education.

In this year’s budget, India announced a tax holiday till 1947 for international companies setting up data centres in the country.

Entry restrictions on first day

Entry to the India AI Impact Summit 2026 will have some restrictions on the first day of the event, and the expo being organised along with it will open for all from Tuesday (February 17), according to an official advisory issued on Sunday (February 15).

"Bharat Mandapam Expo Arena: Closed on 16 February (Inauguration by Hon'ble Prime Minister of India at 5 pm). Open to all from 17 February onwards," the advisory said.

Free registration

"Registration for the event is free. No money is being charged. Anyone can register and attend any of the events on the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 20th,” a MeitY official said.

Officials involved in the preparation for the summit said guests will be able to attend the event by just registering on the DigiYatra or scanning the QR code on the India AI Impact Summit app at various entry points.

Those who plan to attend the summit will get access to Bharat Mandapam main hall area from three gates - Gate 4, 7, and 10 - in a restricted manner, as per the advisory.

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Entry from Gate 4 will be operational between 7.30 am and 2 pm only, drop-offs by cars and cabs will be permitted. Post-2 pm, access through Gate 4 will be regulated and restricted as per security protocol. Entry from Gate 7 will open only after 2 pm where delegates will have to alight in front of the gate to enter the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre through the Business Plaza. Gate 10 will be closest for delegates commuting through metro trains.

"Access through other designated gates shall remain subject to security clearance and movement restrictions as per protocol," the advisory said.

Both event venues, Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre and Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, will remain open between 9.30 am and 6 pm.

Shuttle services

Shuttle services will ply from parking facilities located at Purana Qila Parking, Zoo Parking Space, and JLN Stadium Parking to Bharat Mandapam Gate 4. Delegates will also get access to golf carts to reach the convention centre after entering through Gate 4.

Entry will be open from Gate 2 of Sushma Swaraj Bhawan for pedestrians, metro users, dropoff, and self-driven vehicles.

An official said there will be no shuttle from Bhairo Mandir Parking, which has been allocated for around 600 media professionals who have registered for the summit.

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The event aims to foster new partnerships and create business opportunities within the global AI ecosystem. Spread across 10 arenas covering more than 70,000 square metres, the expo will bring together global technology firms, startups, academia and research institutions, Union ministries, state governments, and international partners.

(With agency inputs)