AI Events
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Feb 19, 2026
India AI Impact Summit 2026: Everything You Need to Know
India AI Impact Summit 2026 kicks off at Bharat Mandapam with global AI CEOs, heads of state, 500+ sessions, and 800+ exhibitors.
India’s biggest artificial intelligence gathering of the year is officially underway.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is being held from 16 to 20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The six-day summit brings together global technology leaders, heads of state, Indian enterprise giants, startups, investors, and policymakers for one of the most internationally attended AI events hosted in the Global South.
With over 100 countries represented, more than 500 sessions, and 800+ exhibitors at the parallel India AI Impact Expo, the scale alone signals how seriously India is positioning itself in the global AI conversation.
Here is what is confirmed so far.
Who Is Opening the Summit?
The summit opened with participation from Indian leadership including Narendra Modi, placing national AI strategy and digital public infrastructure at the center of the conversation.
Global political leaders in attendance include the French President, Emmanuel Macron along with the Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, reflecting the summit’s strong international policy focus.
The opening sessions emphasized AI governance, inclusive growth, and global cooperation frameworks.
Global Tech CEOs in Attendance
The headline names attending this year’s summit include:
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic
Senior AI leadership from Meta
One notable absence is NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, who is not attending due to scheduling constraints, though NVIDIA is represented by a delegation of its senior executives.
This concentration of global AI leadership in one venue makes this summit one of the most significant AI gatherings outside the United States and Europe.
Indian Enterprise Leaders and Corporate Participation
The summit is not limited to global tech firms. Major Indian enterprise leaders confirmed at the event include:
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons
Salil Parekh, CEO of Infosys
Rahul Singh, COO of HCLTech
Aarthi Subramanian, COO of Tata Consultancy Services
Senior leadership from Salesforce India
This mix of global AI builders and Indian IT giants underscores the summit’s dual focus on frontier AI research and enterprise deployment at scale.
Startup Spotlight and Innovation Showcase
Alongside the summit, the India AI Impact Expo features hundreds of startups and technology exhibitors.
Some notable startups confirmed in spotlight selections include:
More than 600 startups are participating in the broader expo environment, showcasing applications across agriculture, healthcare, enterprise automation, climate tech, and financial services.
The expo component is designed to demonstrate live, deployable AI use cases rather than conceptual demos.
Key Highlights to Watch Across the Six Days
Based on confirmed programming and official briefings, major themes include:
India’s national AI roadmap and governance direction
Global cooperation on responsible AI development
Enterprise AI adoption at scale
AI for public services and digital infrastructure
Frontier research and safety discussions
Cross-border innovation partnerships
The summit also includes a dedicated Research Symposium focused on AI impact studies and policy research.
What This Summit Signals for India’s AI Moment?
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is not just another technology conference. The scale of participation, from global AI CEOs to heads of state and India’s largest enterprise leaders, reflects how central artificial intelligence has become to national strategy and economic planning.
With more than 500 sessions, 800+ exhibitors, and delegates from over 100 countries, the summit positions India as an active player in shaping global AI conversations, not just adopting them. The presence of leaders from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta, and India’s largest IT firms signals a convergence of research, enterprise deployment, and policy at one venue.
Over the next six days, announcements, partnerships, and policy statements are expected to shape both India’s AI roadmap and its role in the global ecosystem.
We will be covering each day separately with verified updates, major quotes, confirmed launches, and key developments as they unfold.
