On the inaugural day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) noted that artificial intelligence (AI) must stay ‘human-centric’ and ‘accessible’ to all.
New Delhi is hosting the AI Impact Summit from February 16 to 20, with flagship events scheduled on February 19-20.
Anchored in the theme “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” (Welfare for All, Happiness for All), the summit highlights India’s approach to deploying artificial intelligence for people-focused and inclusive growth. The summit is looking forward to moving global AI discussions towards practical cooperation, inclusive development and measurable outcomes.
“India’s key message to global participants is that AI development should be centered on people, with fair and democratic access to AI resources to ensure the technology serves broad societal and economic goals.”
S. Krishnan, Secretary for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
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Summit Agenda Highlights
The agenda at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 spans five days of discussion, collaboration, innovation and showcases aimed at inclusive policy, cross-border cooperation and real-world impact. Core thematic pillars include human capital, inclusion for social empowerment, safe and trusted AI, resilience and innovation, science, democratising AI resources and AI for economic growth and social good.
The planned formats under the summit’s agenda include:
- Global Impact Challenges: AI for ALL, AI by HER, and YUVAi, to identify real-world solutions, scale women-led AI innovations and spotlight youth-driven projects for social good.
- Research Symposium: A dedicated forum on February 18 that brings researchers, students and practitioners to present frontier work on ethical AI impacts and collaboration pathways.
- AI Impact Expo Conference Programme: Panel discussions, keynotes, roundtables (government, business and multi-stakeholder), workshops, masterclasses, competitions and hackathons designed to advance dialogue and application deployment.
The officials noted that the summit’s agenda balances policy-forward sessions with practical engagement formats. The aim is to move beyond broader commitments & promote tangible cooperation & shared frameworks.
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India Pushes Democratic Access and Global Cooperation
Krishnan said the government’s messaging remains clear: AI must be developed and deployed with people at the centre. He emphasised the need for broad access to AI tools and infrastructure to ensure innovation and economic opportunity extend beyond traditional technology hubs, particularly into the Global South and emerging economies.
The India AI Impact Summit also features global partnerships and sessions with international organisations, aiming to align AI development with the Sustainable Development Goals and collective global growth.
