India AI Summit 2026 Live Updates: PM Modi Highlights 'MANAV' Vision For AI, Invites Tech Bosses To 'Design, Develop In India'

India AI Impact Summit 2026: PM Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Hellenic Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Switzerland President Guy Parmelin, Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Estonian President Alar Karis, and other world leaders pose for a group photograph.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked top tech bosses from across the world to "design and develop in India".

PM Modi said, "India sees a strong future in AI. We have the talent, energy capacity, and policy clarity. I am pleased to inform you all that at this summit, three Indian companies have launched their AI models and apps. These models showcase the talent of our youth...I invite you all to design and develop in India, deliver to the world, humanity..."

PM Modi described 'MANAV' Vision says M- moral and ethical systems: AI should be based on ethical guidance. A- accountable governance means transparent rules, robust oversight; N- national sovereignty means whose data, his right. A- accessible and inclusive means AI should be a multiplier, not a monopoly. V- valid and legitimate means AI should be lawful and verifiable. 

PM Modi on Thursday unveiled 'MANAV Vision' for AI which encompasses moral and ethical systems, accountable governance and national sovereignty.

PM Modi said, "AI is a transformative power. If directionless, it becomes a disruption; if the right direction is found, it becomes a solution. How to make AI from machine-centric to human-centric, how to make it sensitive and responsive, this is the basic objective of this Global AI Impact Summit.

He added that the theme of this summit clearly reflects the perspective from which India views AI. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The pace with which the world's youth are embracing AI and taking ownership of it is commendable. There is tremendous enthusiasm among young people for the AI Summit."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I welcome you all to the most historic AI Summit of the world...India is the centre of the world's largest tech pool...It is a matter of pride for the Global South that the AI summit is being organised in India"

PM Modi, several other global tech leaders including the CEO of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, Alexandr Wang, Chief AI Officer of Meta, CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei pose for a group photograph at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.

French President Emmanuel Macron who is on a 3-day visit to India said, "10 years ago, a street vendor in Mumbai could not open a bank account. No address, no papers, no access and today the same vendor accepts payments on his phone."

UN Secretary General António Guterres said, "Prime Minister Modi, thank you for your kind invitation and congratulations for India's leadership in organising the first AI summit in the Global South. The meeting in India has special meaning...The future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries or left to the whims of a few billionaires."

CEO of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai said, "Prime Minister Modi and distinguished leaders, it's wonderful to be back in India. Every time I visit, I'm struck by the pace of change, and today is no different. Back when I was a student, I often took the Coromandel Express train from Chennai up to IIT Kharagpur. To get there, we passed through Vishakhapatnam. I remember it being a quiet and modest coastal city brimming with potential. Now in that same city, Google is establishing a full-stack AI hub, part of our $15 billion infrastructure investment in India. When finished, this hub will house gigawatt-scale compute and a new international subsea cable gateway, bringing jobs and cutting-edge AI to people and businesses across India."

Sharing PM Modi's vision, Chairman of the Tata Group, N Chandrasekaran, said, "Over the past few years, under our Prime Minister's vision, India has treated AI as a strategic national capability, aligning the full stack from chips to systems to energy to applications. Through Semicon India, an India AI mission and most importantly, the recent reforms such as the Shanti Act for clean energy. We are building AI at scale with trust, resilience and long-term competitiveness."

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "Welcome to the first AI summit in the global south and the biggest AI summit so far. We have participation from 118 countries. Thank you all for making this summit a grand success...PM Narendra Modi believes that the true value of technology lies in ensuring that its benefits reach the masses. Our Prime Minister's vision is to democratize technology, deploy it at scale, make it accessible to all."

PM Modi was seen enging with world leaders ahead of India AI Impact Summit inauguration.

PM Modi has arrived at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam for the inauguration of India AI Impact Summit 2026.

Bhutan - Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister

Bolivia - Edmand Lara Montano, Vice President

Brazil - Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President

Croatia - Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister

Estonia - Alar Karis, President

Finland - Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister

France - Emmanuel Macron, President

Greece - Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister

Guyana - Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President

Kazakhstan - Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister

Liechtenstein - Hereditary Prince Alois, Hereditary Prince of the Principality of Liechtenstein

Mauritius - Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Prime Minister

Serbia - Aleksandar Vučić, President

Slovakia - Peter Pellegrini, President

Spain - Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, President

Sri Lanka - Anura Kumara Disanayaka, President

Seychelles - Sebastien Pillay, Vice President

Switzerland - Guy Parmelin, President

The Netherlands - Dick Schoof, Prime Minister

United Arab Emirates (UAE) - Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

Gates Foundation on Thursday stated that the organisation will be represented by Ankur Vora, president of Africa and India Offices. He will be speaking later today.

PM Modi will first welcome world leaders at Bharat Mandapam. After that, a family photo will be taken at around 9.15 am. The PM will participate in the Opening Ceremony of India AI Impact Summit 2026, which will start at 9.40 am. He will then address the ceremony around 10.25 am.

The Gates Foundation India on Thursday morning posted on its X handle that Microsoft founder Bill Gates will be skipping the India AI Impact Summit and will not deliver his keynote address.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit and inaugurate the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi shortly.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday to participate in the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026. His visit is seen as a major step in reinforcing the partnership between the United Nations and India, particularly regarding the ethical governance of emerging technologies.

Marking his arrival for the high-level summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took to social media to signal a new chapter in South-South cooperation. Posting on X, the President emphasised that his visit is centered on a forward-looking mission to fortify international alliances and shape the global trajectory of artificial intelligence.

In his message to the public, President Lula stated:

“I’ve arrived for another visit with an important agenda: strengthening ties, deepening partnerships and discussing the future of artificial intelligence in the world.”

India has officially entered the Guinness World Records for securing the highest number of commitments toward a responsible AI campaign within a single day. The milestone was achieved during a 24-hour window from February 16 to 17, 2026, as part of the IndiaAI Mission in partnership with Intel India.

The Central Government has issued a rigorous warning to all participants at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 following a significant controversy involving Galgotias University. IT Secretary S Krishnan said, “Exhibitors must not display items that are not theirs."

The institution sparked a backlash at the New Delhi event after allegations surfaced that it presented a Chinese-manufactured robotic dog as its own proprietary innovation.

Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch has highlighted the rapidly expanding collaboration between Sweden and India, noting significant growth in artificial intelligence, trade, and diplomatic relations. In a recent interview, Busch described India as a "chosen partner" for Europe, particularly as the continent navigates an increasingly unpredictable global landscape.

The Indian government has announced a one-day extension for the ongoing AI Impact Summit 2026. Originally scheduled to conclude on February 20, the event will now remain open to the public through February 21. This decision was made in response to the overwhelming interest and growing enthusiasm shown by both international delegates and the general public toward the summit.

French President Emmanuel Macron has officially concluded the Mumbai leg of his trip and is en route to New Delhi to participate in the AI Impact Summit 2026. Following his engagements in India’s financial capital, the President expressed his gratitude for the city's hospitality before heading to the main event at Bharat Mandapam.

Sharing an update on social media platform X, Macron signaled his arrival in the capital, stating:

"Thank you, Mumbai, for your welcome. Delhi, we’re on our way!"

Responding to an official invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva departed for India on Tuesday and will arrive in New Delhi to begin a high-profile diplomatic mission. Scheduled from February 18 to 22, the visit centers on Brazil’s participation in the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin has praised India’s emergence as a global powerhouse in artificial intelligence, citing its rapid advancements in both research and creative innovation. Looking beyond the current summit, the President outlined a vision for a robust bilateral partnership focused on the future of digital intelligence.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin has expressed strong support for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, noting a seamless alignment between Switzerland’s technological priorities and India’s strategic vision. Speaking on the synergy between the two nations, Parmelin highlighted that the summit’s core pillars, People, Planet and Progress mirror Switzerland’s own framework for artificial intelligence.

On the periphery of the ongoing AI Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in New Delhi.

Marking a significant moment for international tech diplomacy, Spanish President Pedro Sanchez has landed in New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

Held at the Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20, this gathering serves as the third major global chapter in AI governance, building on the foundations laid by the UK’s inaugural summit in 2023 and the subsequent French summit in 2025.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has arrived in India to headline the upcoming AI Impact Summit. Scheduled to deliver the keynote address on February 20, Pichai shared his excitement for the trip on social media this morning.

"Nice to be back in India for the AI Impact Summit, a very warm welcome as always and the papers looked great too," he posted to X.

At the 2026 India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw batted for balancing between potential with global risk management.

He said, “AI holds immense potential but risks must be balanced; global collaboration is key”.

The Delhi government has issued a traffic advisory for Wednesday, February 18, effective from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Expect heavy congestion and diversions due to the AI Impact Summit. To avoid getting stuck in the gridlock, officials recommend planning your commute in advance.

Alternate routes suggested include

North-South Corridors: Ring Road, Aurobindo Marg and Vandematram Marg.

Central Connectivity: Lodhi Road, Barapullah Road, and Ferozshah Road.

Diplomatic Enclave and Lutyens: San Martin Marg, Panchsheel Marg, APJ Abdul Kalam Marg and Kamal Ataturk Marg.

Government District: Sansad Marg, Rafi Marg and K Kamraj Marg.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva departed to visit India at the invitation of PM Narendra Modi to participate in the AI Impact Summit 2026. During his visit, scheduled from February 18 to 22, he will engage in summit events at Bharat Mandapam, hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, meet PM Modi at Hyderabad House and meet President Droupadi Murmu. Lula will be accompanied by a delegation of Brazilian business leaders to strengthen commercial ties, with bilateral trade between India and Brazil reaching over USD 15 billion in 2025.

Prosus Global Head of AI and Data Science, Euro Beina,t said the company plans to keep investing in India’s growing consumer sector. Prosus, majority-owned by South Africa’s Naperss, has backed startups like Meesho, PayU, and Swiggy, and aims to grow its India portfolio to USD 50 billion in the next four years. Beinat highlighted that consumer industries remain a key focus, while noting the summit as a “phenomenal” platform for AI discussions.

"At this point, we do not want to make an announcement, but investments in Indian firms will continue. We are looking at India not just because it is large and has potential for fast growth, but also because it's a place where we can learn," PTI quoted Prosus Global Head of AI and Data Science, Euro Beinat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlights that the convergence of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents the “next frontier of inclusive development,” offering practical lessons for the Global South. Speaking to ANI, he emphasised that India’s digital transformation, through Aadhaar, UPI and DigiLocker, was built as a public good, prioritising inclusion, scale, and accessibility over proprietary interests.

The PM highlighted that AI layered over DPI can improve governance, welfare targeting, fraud detection, urban planning and transparency. The government has also promoted India Stack Global and the Global DPI Repository to share India’s DPI success internationally, signing cooperation MoUs with 10 countries to replicate population-scale digital solutions.

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched two key digital health initiatives, SAHI (Secure AI for Health Initiative) and BODH (Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI), at the India AI Impact Summit, marking a major step toward responsible AI use in healthcare. The initiatives aim to promote safe, evidence-based, and people-centric AI innovation in India’s healthcare ecosystem.

SAHI will serve as a governance framework to ensure ethical, transparent, and secure deployment of AI in healthcare, while BODH, developed by IIT Kanpur in collaboration with the National Health Authority, will evaluate AI models using anonymised real-world health data before large-scale deployment. (Source: ANI)

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at the AI Impact Summit 2026 highlighted that India has the potential to emerge as a global hub for technological innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Speaking at the event, miniOrange Founder and CEO Anirban Mukherji highlighted India’s vast pool of software engineers, stating that the country is uniquely positioned to become the world’s AI and cybersecurity backbone. 

"India only only place in the world which is capable of being the cyber security and AI backbone of the world can be India only because there are millions of software engineers here," ANI quoted Anirban Mukherji.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that India will add 20,000 more GPUs, raising the country’s total AI compute capacity beyond 38,000 under the IndiaAI Mission, with access priced at around Rs 65 per hour. Speaking to ANI, the minister added that AI-related investments could exceed USD 200 billion, with USD 90 billion already committed.

Ashwini Vaishnaw apologised for the disruptions witnessed on the opening day of the India AI Impact Summit. He described the overwhelming response as “phenomenal.” He assured attendees that the government is fully committed to addressing the concerns raised and taking corrective measures to ensure a smoother and more seamless experience in the coming days.

PM Modi was seen wearing a sleek, spectacles-like device that looks like something straight out of a movie, at the ongoing AI Summit. The gadget, named 'Sarvam Kaze' is an indigenous AI-powered wearable that does not just sit on your face; it listens, understands, and literally sees the world through your eyes.

Sarvam AI, one of the 12 indigenous AI models being developed to address India-specific use cases, has come up with the wearable spectacles-like device - a gadget that listens, understands, responds, and captures what the users see.

Former G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant says, "The challenge is whether we can ensure that AI reaches those below poverty line, vast segments of population, whether AI can be used to transform lives of citizens in the Global South, and whether AI can be used to improve learning outcomes, improve nutrition standards, which are major challenges before the world. The important thing is that today, we in India, if you look at OpenAI, ChatGPT, we are providing more data than the United States of America. 33% more data than the United States of America is doing. These large language models are getting better and better on the basis of data from the Global South. So the models are getting refined, and data for the Global South, they will create business models and sell you products at a very high cost tomorrow..."

Mumbai's Bandra-Worli Sea Link lit up to welcome French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai. French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron are visiting Mumbai and Delhi during their visit to India from February 16-19. President Macron will arrive in Mumbai today and meet with PM Modi here on February 17. Later, they will travel to Delhi to attend the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

President Macron, accompanied by First Lady Brigitte Macron, is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Tuesday. The discussions are expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in areas including defence, trade, technology, clean energy, and strategic partnerships. Following engagements in Mumbai, the French President and the Prime Minister will travel to New Delhi to attend the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

"Welcome to India! India looks forward to your visit and to advancing our bilateral ties to new heights. I am confident that our discussions will further strengthen cooperation across sectors and contribute to global progress. See you in Mumbai and later in Delhi, my dear friend Emmanuel Macron," PM Modi wrote on X, welcoming Fench President Emmanuel Macron in India.

India is hosting the AI Impact Expo 2026 at the Bharat Mandapam from February 16-20, alongside the India AI Impact Summit.

In a post on X, Modi said, "Bringing the world together to discuss AI! Starting today, India hosts the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. I warmly welcome world leaders, captains of industry, innovators, policymakers, researchers and tech enthusiasts from across the world for this Summit."

French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Mumbai and Delhi during his visit to India from February 16-19. President Macron will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on February 17. Later, they will travel to Delhi to attend the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

Speaking to news agency ANI at India AI Impact Summit 2026, Raphael Leuner, Data Scientist and AI expert at German Federal Foreign Office, said, "I'm super impressed by how big it is. This has been my first session now, so I'm super curious on what other topics are being discussed here. It's such a diverse and full program. Definitely not enough time to see everything I would like to see. Just very excited about the next couple of days."

"I think the expectation is to really listen to voices from all over the world who are coming here and for a discussion on one of the most important topics at this point in time. India is an incredible place to develop AI, or where AI is being developed. There are so many talented young people here, especially with the diversity of languages here..." he added.

At India AI Impact Summit 2026, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today India is going to organise an AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The Prime Minister will inaugurate that. The Prime Minister has a vision to create an AI human capacity in India. AI-led new industrial revolution, new economic revolution led by India. I am confident that with the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we will succeed in that mission."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapamm, New Delhi. India is hosting the AI Impact Expo 2026 from 16 to 20 February 2026, alongside the India AI Impact Summit. 

India is hosting the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20, welcoming leaders from across the world.  Over 20 Heads of State, 60 Ministers, and 500 Global AI Leaders Gather in New Delhi for AI Impact Summit 2026. According to the government, the AI Impact Summit is based on three pillars, or 'Sutras': People, Planet and Progress. 

India is hosting the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from February 16-20. According to reports, the attendees include: France President Emmanuel Macron, Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic Switzerland President Guy Parmelin, Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital. 

According to the government, the AI Summit 2026 is based on three big ideas: People, Planet, and Progress, with the organisers calling them 'Sutras'. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the AI Impact Summit 2026 shortly. The India AI Impact Summit 2026, hosted at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, began today, February 16, and will continue till February 20, welcoming leaders from across the world.

At India AI Impact Summit 2026, Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Joint Secretary, Sanjiv Singh said, "The programme organised by CII for AI-based startups on the sideline of the Summit is great. India's top AI startups are participating in it. AI is a necessity for the country. We are the best in the analytical part of AI in the world... When Excel was first launched, people thought that it would be disruptive. AI will help humankind..."

Speaking at India AI Impact Summit 2026, AAP MP Raghav Chadha said, "In the 21st century, the levers of power will essentially be controlled by those who have access to AI, GPUs, compute capability and data centres. That was the key element of my argument, how India needs to build its own compute capability. Today, we are in an AI ecosystem where there is, in some sense, a monopoly. Design is controlled by one company based in the US, while nearly 90 per cent of chip manufacturing and fabrication is controlled by a company based in Taiwan. Then there are export controls, where certain countries, particularly the US, have defined these chips, GPUs and the entire AI architecture as strategic assets and imposed controls on their export."

The India AI Impact Summit is being held at at New Delhi's Bharat Mandapam and will continue till February 20, welcoming leaders from across the world. Visuals from inside AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam. 

At India AI Impact Summit, Saahil Goel, MD and CEO of Shiprocket, says, "This event brings together innovators, startups, policy makers and enterprises to create the conversations on the same page. Hopefully, over time, this will lead to more collaborations. A big thanks to the government for putting this together. One thing is to use AI; we need to create AI for Indian use cases and consumers...There is a need for more digital public infrastructure to come around..."

Mukesh Aghi, President & CEO of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, said, "The success of the summit cannot be seen in the short term because AI is so strategic, if not managed right, it can go in a negative way. It is important that companies and governments sit down together and look at what responsible AI is..."

"The Summit makes practical what we have been working on together. Both our countries have been working very closely on our collaboration in technology. The Summit is going to take us one step further in a very significant way,"  UK Minister for AI and Online Safety, Kanishka Narayan told ANI.

"AI is here to stay, and the most important thing is to upskill, focusing on AI...There is significant awareness of AI and what people can do with it...After this summit, India's position in AI will be much higher," Alok Agrawal, Co-Founder, AI4India told ANI.

"Starting today, India hosts the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. I warmly welcome world leaders, captains of industry, innovators, policymakers, researchers and tech enthusiasts from across the world for this Summit. The theme of the Summit is Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya or welfare for all, happiness for all, reflecting our shared commitment to harnessing Artificial Intelligence for human-centric progress...I am confident that the outcomes of the Summit will help shape a future that is progressive, innovative and opportunity-driven..." PM Modi posted on X.

The Delhi traffic advisory further states that trucks and other heavy vehicles without a specific destination in Delhi will not be allowed to enter the city during the summit period. Such vehicles will be diverted to the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways to ease congestion within the capital.

Delhi Traffic Police has issued a comprehensive advisory announcing elaborate security and traffic arrangements across the national capital for AI Summit India 2026.

“In view of major events in Delhi that may impact travel to and from the airport, travelers are advised to plan their journey accordingly and consider alternative public transport options such as the Delhi Metro (Magenta Line for Terminal 1 and Airport Express Line for Terminals 2 & 3) or other available services to avoid inconvenience. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,” Delhi’s IGI Airport posted on X.

“I think the summit itself is proving to be a very large event. We are expecting at least 20 heads of state and heads of government. We are expecting leaders from about seven or eight international organisations, including the United Nations Secretary-General,” PTI reported quoting him as saying.

"We are promoting a British vision for AI, rooted in our technological heritage and driven by ambition, to spread opportunity across the UK and work with global allies," said UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan.