The world’s largest artificial intelligence summit opened in New Delhi on Monday to packed halls and long queues, as technology leaders, policymakers, founders, and investors gathered for the AI Impact Summit 2026. The five-day event, being held at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20, has drawn unprecedented interest, positioning India at the centre of global conversations on artificial intelligence governance, infrastructure, and equitable access.
Packed Halls and Surging Interest Mark Opening Day
Even before the summit officially opened at 9:30 am, long queues formed outside session halls, reflecting the scale of enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence. Large billboards across the capital welcomed delegates, while inside the venue, multiple parallel sessions were filled to capacity.Despite logistical pressures caused by overwhelming attendance, the event remained orderly and well managed. Participants reported that halls were closed once capacity was reached, requiring attendees to arrive well in advance to secure entry.
Organisers confirmed that registrations exceeded expectations, highlighting accelerating global interest in AI infrastructure, enterprise adoption, and sovereign compute capabilities.
From February 16 to 20, the summit is hosting more than 3,250 speakers across over 500 sessions, making it one of the largest AI-focused gatherings globally.
High-Profile Global Leaders to Join Midweek
While the opening day saw strong participation, some of the most anticipated global technology leaders are scheduled to speak later in the week. Sessions featuring Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Dario Amodei of Anthropic are slated to begin from Wednesday onward.The final two days, February 19 and 20, will witness participation from more than 20 heads of state and government, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to address discussions on the future of artificial intelligence alongside business leaders and investors.
Expo Showcases AI Innovation from Global Tech Giants
An expansive technology expo is running alongside the summit, featuring more than 300 exhibitions and 13 country pavilions. Global technology companies including Google, Nvidia, Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, and Microsoft are showcasing AI-driven innovations, alongside leading Indian enterprises.The exhibition focuses on the transformative impact of artificial intelligence under themes of People, Planet, and Progress, offering insights into AI’s applications across sectors.
Key Themes: Employability, Governance and Responsible AI
Panel discussions on the opening day drew standing-room-only audiences. Major themes include:- Future of employability in the age of AI
- Skilling and workforce transformation
- Safe and trusted AI at scale
- AI governance and infrastructure
- Generative AI deployment
- Public sector use cases
India Pushes for Global AI Commons and Wider Access
Beyond showcasing technology, the summit provides India an opportunity to advocate for broader global access to AI. New Delhi is expected to push for democratizing AI technologies for the global south and seek international consensus on establishing “global AI commons” — a shared repository of AI use cases across key sectors that can be accessed internationally.India is positioning itself as a hub for digital public infrastructure and sovereign AI capabilities, highlighting its engineering talent, expanding data centre ecosystem, and growing AI ecosystem.
Building on Previous Global AI Summits
The AI summit series began in the United Kingdom in 2023, with a focus on AI safety and extreme risks. The subsequent edition in France in 2025 emphasized major technology investments.The 2026 summit in New Delhi shifts attention toward scaling access, infrastructure development, enterprise adoption, and international cooperation frameworks for responsible AI development.
India’s Global AI Ambition in Focus
For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit offers a platform to present India as a global digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence hub. Ahead of the event, he emphasized India’s readiness to host global data infrastructure and lead the next phase of the technology revolution.As discussions unfold over the coming days, the summit is expected to shape global conversations on expanding AI access, strengthening digital public infrastructure, and building shared frameworks for responsible and inclusive AI growth.
With record participation and packed sessions, the AI Impact Summit 2026 signals that artificial intelligence has moved firmly to the centre of global economic, technological, and policy agendas.
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