AI Impact Summit 2026 kicks off in Delhi today: Key sessions to watch

India is hosting the AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16-20, bringing global leaders, tech CEOs together to discuss how artificial intelligence can be used for governance, jobs and public services

India is set to host the AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16-20 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, bringing together world leaders, technology executives, policymakers and artificial intelligence (AI) innovators. It is the first major global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South, marking India’s growing role in shaping global AI governance and deployment.

 

The summit is significant because it shifts the global AI conversation from theory to real-world use. Instead of focusing only on ethics or principles, discussions will centre on how governments build, buy and deploy AI systems.

Why today matters

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on Monday evening, officially opening the multi-day event that will focus on how countries can use artificial intelligence at scale.

 

 

The first day of the summit will focus on AI for road safety, highlighting data-driven methods to understand crash patterns, predict risks and support safer mobility systems.

 

Key discussions will also examine:

• How AI can reshape future jobs and skills
• Use of AI in judicial systems to reduce case backlogs
• The role of social norms in AI deployment
• AI applications for climate-resilient agriculture

 

In a post on X on Monday, PM Modi wrote, "It is a matter of immense pride for us that people from across the world are coming to India for the India AI Impact Summit. This also reflects the potential and capability of our country’s youth. The occasion is proof that our nation is making rapid progress in the fields of science and technology and is contributing significantly to global development." 

Day 1: Sessions to track

The first day of the AI Summit will see several major sessions, including: 

• AI for Road Safety: This session will discuss how AI can help improve road safety in India and reduce accidents. 
• HER First Algorithm, India's Next Breakthrough: The Impact Challenge for Women in AI is a global contest that invites women in technology to create AI solutions for large public problems or new real-world challenges. It is being run in partnership with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform.  The initiative focuses on inclusive innovation and aims to support women in AI, promote ideas from the Global South, and showcase AI solutions that can be scaled for social good. 
• Future of Work and Learning: This talk will explain how AI is changing jobs around the world and the skills people will need in the future. It will also focus on why continuous learning and better education policies are important to prepare workers. 
• AI to Transform India's Judicial Ecosystem: This session will look at how AI can help courts work faster. It can support case management, legal research, virtual hearings, and better decision-making. The discussion will also cover challenges and ways to use technology to make the justice system more efficient and transparent. 
• Culturally Grounded AI: This session will explore how social values and cultural differences influence how people accept and use AI. 
• AI for Smart Agriculture: Experts will discuss how AI can help farmers with sustainable and climate-friendly farming. The session will focus on farmers’ needs, data challenges, and how to ensure fair and wide adoption of AI in agriculture.

 

India AI Summit 2026: What is the summit about?

The summit revolves around three themes — People, Planet and Progress — and aims to explore how AI can address public challenges such as road safety, agriculture, justice delivery and employment. 

Alongside the summit, the India AI Impact Expo will showcase AI applications in real-world settings. It will feature over 300 exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations, with participation from more than 600 startups and 13 country pavilions. 

The Expo will bring together global technology firms, academia, research institutions, central and state governments and international partners. 

The government expects over 250,000 visitors, more than 3,000 speakers and over 500 sessions during the event. 

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, around 20 world leaders and ministerial delegations from more than 45 countries will attend. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and senior representatives from international organisations are also expected.

India AI Summit 2026: Expected speakers

 

The summit will see participation from several global political leaders, including:

• Emmanuel Macron
• Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
• Pedro Sanchez
• Tshering Tobgay
• Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Top global technology leaders are also expected to attend, including Google's Sundar Pichai, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei, Meta Platforms Inc.'s Alexandr Wang and researchers Yann LeCun and Arthur Mensch. 

Indian industry leaders such as Mukesh D Ambani, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Salil Parekh, Nikesh Arora and Shantanu Narayen are also expected to attend.

What happens next

Beyond discussions, the summit is expected to shape future international cooperation on AI governance, capacity building and technology deployment. Bilateral meetings between PM Modi and global leaders, including Macron and Lula, will also focus on AI partnerships. 

With large-scale participation from governments, companies and startups, the event is seen as a key step in positioning India as a global hub for responsible and inclusive AI development.