India will host the AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16-20 in New Delhi, marking the first global AI summit in the Global South. The event will bring together policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and civil society to address critical questions around AI’s impact on employment, social inclusion, and global governance frameworks.
The summit is structured around seven thematic working groups, or Chakras, that operationalize three guiding principles: People, Planet, and Progress. These Chakras address human capital development, social inclusion, AI safety, research advancement, technological resilience, resource democratization, and economic impact.
The Human Capital Chakra focuses on equipping people with skills and literacy required for an AI-driven future, emphasizing reskilling and inclusive workforce transitions. With AI transforming India’s tech services sector, the government is investing in skilling programs to ensure automation creates rather than eliminates opportunities. Over 300 pre-summit events across 25 countries have gathered diverse perspectives on these workforce challenges.
India has seen rapid growth in AI talent over the past decade. The summit aims to accelerate this trend while ensuring that benefits extend beyond urban tech hubs to rural and underserved populations. Government-led investments in skilling, research, and global exposure are strengthening domestic capabilities while aligning them with international requirements.
The Democratizing AI Resources Chakra addresses a critical challenge: AI development requires vast infrastructure concentrated in a few regions, reinforcing global inequalities. India has launched initiatives to broaden access through subsidized compute resources.
AIRAWAT, India’s premier AI supercomputer integrated with PARAM Siddhi-AI, provides shared computing for advanced AI research. The IndiaAI Compute Portal democratizes access to over 38,000 GPUs and 1,050 TPUs, empowering large-scale AI model development at subsidized rates under Rs. 100 per hour compared to global rates exceeding Rs. 200 per hour.
This pricing strategy enables Indian startups, researchers, and small companies to develop AI solutions that would otherwise require prohibitive capital. By removing infrastructure barriers, India aims to spur innovation across sectors addressing local economic challenges and societal needs.
As AI reshapes economies and societies globally, the India AI Impact Summit aims to ensure that this transformation benefits all nations and populations rather than widening existing inequalities. By hosting the first major AI summit in the Global South, India positions itself as a voice for inclusive, responsible AI development that serves human progress.
