PM Modi to inaugurate India AI Impact Summit 2026 on Thursday

New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday inaugurate the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which aims to position the country as a leader in the field of artificial intelligence and envisions a future where the technology advances humanity and fosters inclusive growth.

Modi will also welcome the leaders of the various participating countries at the summit venue, Bharat Mandapam, this evening, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in an official statement on Wednesday.

The PM will visit and inaugurate the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19. On the sidelines, he will also hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders attending the summit, it said.

Along with Modi, the opening ceremony will be addressed by President of France Emmanuel Macron, Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres and various top industry leaders from across the world, it added.

This will be followed by a visit to the India AI Impact Expo 2026 along with other leaders, where they will visit various country pavilions.

Modi will then participate in the Leaders' Plenary, which will take place around 12 noon onwards. It will bring together Heads of State, ministers and senior representatives from multilateral institutions to outline national and global priorities on AI, including governance, infrastructure and international cooperation.

Thereafter, he will participate in the CEO roundtable from 5.30 pm onwards. It will convene senior executives from global technology and industry firms with government leadership to discuss investment, research collaboration, supply chains and deployment of AI systems.

The theme of India AI Impact Summit 2026 is 'Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay' (Welfare for all, happiness of all).

It aims to position India as a leader in the field of AI and envisions a future where AI advances humanity, fosters inclusive growth, and safeguards the planet, the statement said.

Seven working groups anchor the summit, aligned to three pillars: People, Planet, and Progress. These groups will work on delivering concrete outcomes demonstrating AI's impact across sectors, it said.

The seven themes are AI for Economic Growth and Social Good; Democratising AI Resources; Inclusion for Social Empowerment; Safe and Trusted AI; Human Capital; Science; Resilience, Innovation and Efficiency.

The summit will bring together more than 500 global AI leaders, including CEOs/CXOs, around 100 CEOs and founders, 150 academicians and researchers, and 400 CTOs, VPs, and philanthropists.

It will also engage over 100 government representatives, including more than 20 heads of state and government, and around 60 ministers and vice ministers.