NEW DELHI, February 15 (ANI): As New Delhi prepares to become the epicenter of a global conversation on artificial intelligence, an unprecedented roster of presidents, prime ministers, crown princes and leading technology executives will gather at Bharat Mandapam as India hosts the AI Impact Summit 2026 next week.
From February 16 to 20, the summit — the first international AI summit hosted in the Global South — will showcase New Delhi’s ambition to shape an AI future that is inclusive, responsible and impactful.
French President Emmanuel Macron, making his fourth visit to India, will arrive with a focus on deepening cooperation in AI and emerging technologies. His visit will also mark the joint inauguration of the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 in Mumbai. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will visit from February 18 to 22, leading a business delegation of up to 200 executives seeking to expand ties in India’s growing market.
Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlight Finland’s work in ethical AI innovation, accompanied by executives from Nokia and other firms. Slovakia’s President Peter Pellegrini is also set to meet Modi and other leaders, emphasizing technological sovereignty and responsible AI as national priorities.
The United Arab Emirates will be represented by Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leading a delegation on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will also attend, alongside ministerial delegations from more than 45 countries.
Other heads of state and government expected at the summit include Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay; Bolivia’s Vice President Edmand Lara Montaño; Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenković; 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’ Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam; Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić; Spain’s President Pedro Sánchez; Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake; Seychelles’ Vice President Sebastien Pillay; Switzerland’s President Guy Parmelin; and the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
Beyond political leaders, the summit is expected to draw significant participation from the technology sector, with industry executives viewing India as a key player in AI’s next phase.
A U.S. delegation organized by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum and the U.S.-India Business Council will mark one of the largest American industry presences at such an event. The delegation 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 over 100 companies, including Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith.
White House adviser Michael Kratsios, assistant to U.S. President Donald Trump and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, will lead the official U.S. government delegation, joined by senior officials from the Departments of State and Commerce and other agencies.
“Looking forward to leading the U.S. 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, described the summit as potentially one of the most significant AI gatherings in recent years, citing India’s combination of talent, infrastructure and large-scale societal challenges as a testing ground for AI innovation.
John Chambers, chairman of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, emphasized the importance of collaboration between the two countries, saying the partnership could help lead the future of AI.
Former U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to address a curtain-raiser event organized by Carnegie India titled “AI for All: Reimagining Global Cooperation.”
Iran’s participation, led by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Sattar Hashemi, and a high-level Israeli delegation headed by Ilan Fluss, policy coordinator at Israel’s Foreign Ministry, are also expected, with discussions likely to include AI applications in climate resilience and governance.
At the core of the summit is India’s push for sovereign AI. Under the IndiaAI Mission, the country plans to unveil 12 indigenous foundation models developed by domestic startups and research consortia. These models are trained on Indian datasets and tailored to the nation’s 22 official languages.
Innovations from companies and institutions such as Sarvam AI, BharatGen from IIT Bombay, Gnani AI and Fractal Analytics are expected to be showcased, highlighting applications across agriculture, health care and governance.
The summit will run alongside the AI Impact Expo, a 70,000-square-meter exhibition featuring real-world AI applications ranging from precision farming to accessible education.
The agenda is structured around three guiding themes — People, Planet and Progress — with seven thematic tracks focusing on areas such as skilling, sustainable AI, trusted governance and economic empowerment. Working groups comprising representatives from the Global North and South are expected to propose initiatives including shared computing resources, AI commons for public benefit and practical use cases for developing economies.
For India, whose AI market is projected to surpass $17 billion by 2027, the summit represents more than a diplomatic milestone. With about 800 million internet users, a growing startup ecosystem and expanding digital public infrastructure, the country is positioning itself as a bridge between innovation and real-world impact.
As Prime Minister Modi 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 global attention turns to New Delhi, the AI Impact Summit 2026 aims to place India at the center of efforts to shape an AI era that is equitable, ethical and human-centered. (ANI)
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