Look around you, and you can see the almost unprecedented shift going on right now in the field of artificial intelligence. A new summit that aims to showcase this shift to a global audience is the 2026 India AI Impact Summit, a forthcoming event hosted in the middle of New Delhi at the iconic Bharat Mandapam. The summit will be the first global meeting of this scale to be hosted in the Global South. Previous summits of this scale have been hosted in Seoul, Paris, and London, focusing heavily on regulatory frameworks and safety. Bucking this trend, the summit in India will be embodied by the new mantra: Impact. Under the theme “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya,” which translates to “Welfare for All, Happiness for All”. This signals a shift to focus global effort in AI beyond theoretical risks toward tangible, human-centric solutions.
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The Vision of India AI Impact: People, Planet, and Progress
The summit has decided to focus on three fundamental concepts or “Sultras” that define India’s approach to AI in the coming decade. Progress, Planet, and People; these are the three main pillars. The aim of this decision is to emphasize the importance of ensuring that the advancement of AI does not come at the expense of environmental stability or human dignity.
- People: This choice is meant to strengthen the call for humans to always be at the center of AI and for advancements in the field to ensure respect for cultural diversity, inclusive benefits, and preservation of individual dignity.
- Planet: This concept is meant to show the commitment to ensuring AI does not have excessive harmful effects on the environment.
- Progress: This pillar is meant to showcase commitment to inclusive growth in AI that is beneficial for all groups. This focus is aimed at democratizing access to datasets and computers.
At the summit, these Sutras will be converted to actions through the various “Chakras” or working groups. Aside from the three main pillars, the groups will also include concepts like Safe and Trusted AI, Human Capital, AI for Economic Growth, Resilience, Inclusion for Social Empowerment, Science, and Democratizing AI Resources.
A Grand Assembly of World Leaders
This remarkable event marks a significant geopolitical shift, epitomized by its roster of extraordinary attendees, including government officials and heads of state. This diverse roster shows a global recognition of the shift from AI being just a technical field to being a core feature of global diplomacy and national sovereignty.
The distinguished list of guests heads of state like:
- Bhutan: H.E. Mr. Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister
- Bolivia: H.E. Mr. Edmand Lara Montano, Vice President
- Brazil: H.E. Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President
- Croatia: H.E. Mr. Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister
- Estonia: H.E. Mr. Alar Karis, President
- Finland: H.E. Mr. Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister
- France: H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President
- Greece: H.E. Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister
- Guyana: H.E. Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President
- Kazakhstan: H.E. Mr. Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister
- Liechtenstein: H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois, Hereditary Prince of the Principality of Liechtenstein
- Mauritius: H.E. Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam GCSK, FRCP, Prime Minister
- Serbia: H.E. Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, President
- Slovakia: H.E. Mr. Peter Pellegrini, President
- Spain: H.E. Mr. Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, President
- Sri Lanka: H.E. Mr. Anura Kumara Disanayaka, President
- Seychelles: H.E. Mr. Sebastien Pillay, Vice President
- Switzerland: H.E. Mr. Guy Parmelin, President
- The Netherlands: H.E. Mr. Dick Schoof, Prime Minister
- UAE: H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
Also in attendance is tech leaders like:
This summit will feature interactions between these global leaders and leaders in the tech world, including Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Sam Altman of OpenAI. A direct line will be established between the political caste governing the various societies around the world and the technical caste responsible for building this transformational technology.
Empowering the Global South
It is hard not to notice the huge technological divide that exists between developing nations and everywhere else. This divide has seen the developing world become just consumers of innovation from other parts of the world for decades. The 2026 India AI Impact Summit aims to address this dynamic with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the world’s attention to India’s increasing role in generating innovation for the world.
The Indian Government has announced a multi-million dollar project to make the nation the “service provider for AI to the whole world.” This initiative is called the “IndiaAI Mission,” which plans to democratize computing access in India. Early signs of the success of this initiative can be seen in “Bhashini”, a project that aims to get rid of language barriers and allow citizens to access digital services in their native language. Another project that fits this profile is the “BharatGen” project, which aims develop foundational AI models that are specifically tailored to the nation’s language and socio-cultural diversity. These projects’ focus is directed at ensuring that progress in AI is not limited by data biases that are not representative of the local context.
Other projects you can expect to be showcased at this event include the “YUVAi” and “AI by HER” challenges that aim to highlight women-led AI solutions and youth-driven projects, to ensure that the next generation of innovators is as diverse as the underlying population it aims to serve. The summit will also be a gathering of the latest generation of innovators showcasing their work. You can expect to see up to 600 startups showcasing their companies.
Disclaimer: BFM Times acts as a source of information for knowledge purposes and does not claim to be a financial advisor. Kindly consult your financial advisor before investing.
