India AI Impact Summit 2026 Set to Be World’s Largest, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Addressing the media, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Summit has received a phenomenal global response and is shaping up to be the largest AI summit ever held worldwide.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Friday held a high-level press conference ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, reaffirming India’s readiness to host the first-ever global AI summit in the Global South from 16–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The briefing was chaired by Union Minister for Electronics & IT Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, and was attended by Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics & IT; Shri Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India; Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY; and other senior officials.

Addressing the media, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Summit has received a phenomenal global response and is shaping up to be the largest AI summit ever held worldwide. Referring to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s recent interactions with global industry leaders, developers and innovators, the Minister said these engagements reflect the systematic and deployment-focused growth of India’s AI ecosystem.

He announced that over 200 sector-specific AI models, developed by leading IT companies across domains such as governance, healthcare, agriculture and industry, are proposed to be launched during the Summit. He further revealed that nearly USD 70 billion is already flowing into AI infrastructure, with the potential to double by the conclusion of the Summit.

Highlighting the focus on talent, Shri Vaishnaw said India will scale up AI talent development by extending AI infrastructure access and industry-finalised curricula to 500 universities, creating a robust and future-ready talent pipeline.

Industry reflections and participatory build-up

The Minister also launched a Compendium titled “The Impact Agenda: Leadership Reflections”, featuring insights from around 60 leading global industry experts on AI’s role in driving inclusive growth, innovation and societal impact.

Detailing preparations for the Summit, senior officials noted that all seven thematic Working Groups, anchored around the Sutras of People, Planet and Progress, have completed their hybrid meetings, with key deliverables now at an advanced stage of finalisation.

In parallel, seven Regional AI Impact Conferences held across Meghalaya, Gujarat, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala have concluded, grounding India’s national AI priorities in regional strengths and real-world use cases. The participatory approach is further reflected in 480+ Pre-Summit events conducted across India and globally, including 83 international engagements in 30 countries, with additional activities scheduled until 10 February 2026.

Focus on inclusive and responsible AI

Addressing the conference, Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary (MeitY), said the central objective of the Summit is the democratisation of AI, ensuring its benefits reach the widest possible sections of society. As the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, he said the event will focus on aligning AI governance frameworks and standards, fostering global consensus on safe, trusted and responsible AI deployment.

масштаб of the Summit

The Summit week will feature 500+ curated events across Bharat Mandapam and Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, including leader-level dialogues, exhibitions and outcome-oriented sessions. The AI Impact Expo will host 840+ exhibitors, including Country Pavilions, Central Ministries, State Governments, industry players, startups and research institutions, showcasing AI solutions with proven real-world impact. IndiaAI will also demonstrate progress on India’s foundational AI models.

The conference confirmed participation from 15 Heads of State/Government, 40+ Ministers, 100+ CEOs and CXOs, and over 100 eminent academics. Major industry partners expected to join include Jio, Qualcomm, OpenAI, Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and the Gates Foundation.

Concluding the briefing, MeitY reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to ensuring that AI remains safe, trusted and inclusive, while acting as a powerful driver of innovation, economic growth and societal impact through the India AI Impact Summit 2026.