PM Modi to inaugurate AI Impact Summit with Sam Altman, Bill Gates among top speakers

Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Thursday. The high-profile summit brings together heads of state, ministers, industry leaders, academics, and technology experts to discuss how AI is reshaping economies, governance, and societies worldwide.

Ahead of the formal inauguration, Modi will welcome visiting leaders and hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event. He is also scheduled to address the opening ceremony, which will feature remarks from global leaders including the French President and the UN Secretary-General.

A key highlight of the summit will be the Leaders’ Plenary Session, where heads of government, ministers, and senior officials from international organisations will deliberate on AI priorities, governance frameworks, infrastructure expansion, and global cooperation.

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Modi and other dignitaries will also tour the India AI Impact Expo, showcasing AI innovations and country pavilions presenting new technologies and solutions. Later, the Prime Minister will participate in a CEO roundtable with top executives and government representatives to discuss investments, research partnerships, supply chain resilience, and AI deployment strategies.

The summit, themed “Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay” (welfare and happiness for all), reflects India’s vision of harnessing AI for inclusive growth and sustainable development. Discussions will be guided by seven working groups focusing on areas such as economic growth, social empowerment, trusted AI, human capital, and innovation.

New investments power India’s AI ambitions

As the first global AI summit hosted in a developing nation, the event has doubled as a major opportunity for India to cement its place in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem.

India is eyeing over $200 billion in AI-related investments over the next two years, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday.

Major American tech giants, including Google and Nvidia, have already announced fresh partnerships, investments, and infrastructure plans focused on India.

“Since my childhood growing up in Chennai, India has undergone an incredible transformation,” Sundar Pichai told reporters on Wednesday.

“India is going to have an extraordinary trajectory with AI and we want to be a partner,” he said, adding that Google plans to build subsea cables as part of its existing $15 billion investment in AI infrastructure.

Also read | From healthcare to road safety: How India is introducing AI into everyday living

Meanwhile, Nvidia — currently the world’s most valuable chipmaker — said it is collaborating with Indian cloud providers to supply advanced processors capable of powering data centres that train and operate AI systems.