India opens landmark AI summit as leading Global South host

Monday 16 February 2026 - 13:20

By: Dakir Madiha

India opens landmark AI summit as leading Global South host

India on Monday launched one of the largest gatherings ever devoted to artificial intelligence as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The five day event, running from February 16 to 20, marks the first major global AI summit hosted by a country from the Global South, positioning India at the center of debates over the technology’s future direction.

Around 20 heads of state and government are attending, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Ministerial delegations from more than 45 countries are also present, alongside United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and senior representatives from several international organizations.

Senior executives from leading AI companies have converged on New Delhi for what industry observers describe as a pivotal forum. Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei and Google DeepMind chief executive Demis Hassabis are among confirmed speakers. Microsoft president Brad Smith and Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani are also scheduled to address the summit. Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang canceled his appearance due to unforeseen circumstances, according to France24.

India has emerged as a major destination for AI investment. Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon have collectively committed about $68 billion toward AI and cloud infrastructure in the country through 2030. Microsoft alone has pledged a record $17.5 billion over four years, its largest investment in Asia, to expand AI capabilities and data infrastructure.

Unlike previous AI summits held at Bletchley Park, Seoul and Paris, which focused heavily on safety and regulation, the New Delhi meeting seeks to shift attention toward development priorities and the needs of emerging economies. The summit is organized around three guiding principles described as People, Planet and Progress, supported by seven thematic working groups addressing AI applications in health, education, agriculture and climate action.

India’s Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said artificial intelligence should serve humanity by promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development.

The event features a 70,000 square meter exhibition space with more than 300 exhibitors from 30 countries, and organizers expect over 250,000 visitors across five days. With India generating nearly 20 percent of global data and possessing the world’s second largest AI workforce, the summit underscores New Delhi’s ambition to shape AI governance for the developing world.