India Hosts Landmark AI Summit with International Leaders and Industry Titans

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1312 EAT on Monday 16 February 2026

India this week is hosting the AI Impact Summit, convening heads of state and leading tech executives to address pressing challenges, including job disruption and child safety in the age of artificial intelligence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the five-day summit on Monday in New Delhi. Organizers aim to use the event to chart a shared roadmap for global AI governance and international collaboration, positioning India at the forefront of AI policy and innovation.

“This occasion is further proof that our country is progressing rapidly in science and technology and highlights the capability of our youth,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an X post on Monday.

Touted as the largest edition yet, the Indian government expects 250,000 visitors from across the sector, including 20 national leaders and 45 ministerial-level delegations.

The summit comes at a pivotal moment, as artificial intelligence rapidly transforms economies, reshapes labor markets, and raises pressing questions around regulation, security, and ethics. From generative AI tools that produce text and images to advanced systems in defence, healthcare, and climate modelling, AI has become a central focus for governments and corporations worldwide.

Previously held in France, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, the summit has grown far beyond its early focus on the safety of cutting-edge AI systems. Today, it serves as a comprehensive platform for trade, innovation, and policy discussions, with safety being one of many key topics.

India — the world’s most populous nation and one of the fastest-growing digital markets — sees the summit as an opportunity to position itself as a bridge between advanced economies and the Global South, emphasizing that “AI should be used for shaping humanity.”

Officials highlighted that India’s experience in building large-scale digital public infrastructure — including digital identity systems and payment platforms — provides a model for deploying AI at scale while keeping costs manageable.

“The goal is clear: AI should be used for shaping humanity, promoting inclusive growth, and ensuring a sustainable future,” said India’s Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The India AI Impact Summit is framed around the broad themes of “people, progress, planet”, referred to as the summit’s “three sutras.”

As with previous editions, the event is not expected to produce a binding political agreement. Officials say it may conclude with a nonbinding declaration or pledge outlining goals for AI development.
Last year’s Paris AI Action Summit was dominated by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who criticized European efforts to regulate AI, warning global leaders and tech executives against “excessive regulation” that could stifle the rapidly growing industry.

AI summits have evolved dramatically since the first meeting in November 2023, held just a year after the launch of ChatGPT, which sparked excitement and concern about generative AI. That inaugural summit, held at a former code-breaking base north of London, involved official delegations from 28 countries and the European Union, alongside a small number of AI executives and researchers, with a focus on AI safety and risk mitigation.

Seth Hays, author of the Asia AI Policy Monitor newsletter, told AFP that discussions at the summit would likely centre on “ensuring that governments put up some guardrails, but don’t throttle AI development.”

He added, “There may be announcements for more state investment in AI, but they may have limited impact, as India needs international partnerships to integrate fully into the global AI ecosystem.”

Source: Aljazeera

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here