Tech CEOs Head to Delhi for India AI Impact Summit 2026

Sundar Pichai of Google, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia lead a group of top tech CEOs heading to New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The five-day event starts February 16 at Bharat Mandapam and other venues in the capital. It brings together over 40 CEOs, 20 heads of state, and thousands of participants to talk about AI's effects on people, planet, and progress. India hosts this as the first big global AI summit in the Global South, with eyes on its large pool of young users and tech workers.

Background

India set up this summit to put itself on the map for AI talks. The country makes close to 20 percent of the world's data each day. It has the second biggest group of AI workers anywhere. More than 700 million people use the internet here, many of them young and open to new tech. Tech firms see India as a place full of customers and talent for building AI tools.

Past events like the AI Seoul Summit and the UK AI Safety Summit set the stage. This one builds on those by giving voice to countries in the Global South. Organizers want to push for shared rules and real steps forward in AI use. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak at the main session on February 19. He plans meetings with 35 to 40 CEOs on the side.

The summit runs under three main ideas: People, Planet, and Progress. These guide talks on how AI can help everyday life, protect the environment, and drive ahead. Over 200,000 people have signed up, from farmers to top leaders. That mix shows India's goal to link AI with ground-level needs.

Key Details

The attendee list reads like a who's who of tech and AI. Confirmed guests include Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. Sam Altman runs OpenAI. Dario Amodei leads Anthropic. Demis Hassabis heads Google DeepMind. Bill Gates from the Gates Foundation is coming. Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, joins too.

Indian names stand out as well. Mukesh Ambani chairs Reliance Industries. Natarajan Chandrasekaran leads Tata Sons. Salil Parekh runs Infosys. Nandan Nilekani co-founded Infosys. Sunil Bharti Mittal started Bharti Enterprises.

Global Leaders and Researchers

Heads of state from places like France and Brazil plan to attend. Emmanuel Macron and Lula da Silva top that list. Over 50 ministers and the UN Secretary General add weight. AI pioneers Yann LeCun and Yoshua Bengio, key figures in the field, will speak.

The event fills five days with action. It kicks off February 16 and ends February 20. More than 700 sessions cover topics from ethics to business deals. A big expo takes up 70,000 square meters. Over 300 exhibitors from 30 countries show off AI tech.

Programs target wide groups. AI for ALL aims at broad access. AI by HER focuses on women. YUVAi works with youth. India AI Tinkerpreneur helps startups. A research symposium on February 18 links studies to real use.

"This summit marks a new chapter in global AI cooperation, with India leading the way for inclusive growth." – Event Organizer Statement

A high-level CEO roundtable looks at investments and priorities. Organizers expect up to $100 billion in pledges. The close includes a leaders' declaration on February 20 and GPAI council meetings.

What This Means

Tech companies spend billions on AI. India offers a huge market of tech-savvy young people. Its service sector handles back-office work for the world. That draws firms looking for users and skilled hands.

The gathering could spark deals worth billions. CEOs meet leaders to plan investments. India pushes for its own AI systems, called sovereign AI. This means building tools that fit local needs without full reliance on outside tech.

Talks cover real-world uses. Farmers might get AI for better crops. Workers could learn skills for new jobs. Health and education stand to gain from smart tools. Global rules on safe AI might come out of the sessions.

For India, the summit boosts its spot in tech. It shows the country can host big events and shape AI paths. Firms gain from local talent pools. The mix of business, research, and policy sets up long-term ties.

World leaders see this as a step to even out AI benefits. The Global South gets a say in how tech grows. Deals from here could speed up AI rollout in developing areas. Ethical guides might prevent risks down the line.

The event highlights India's data strength. With so much info generated daily, it fuels AI training. Internet growth means more people can use AI apps soon. That pulls in global players hungry for scale.

Investment paths open up. CEOs discuss funding for startups and projects. Responsible AI stays front and center. Panels stress checks on bias and privacy. Progress ties to planet care, like using AI for climate fixes.

India's workforce gives it an edge. Millions train in coding and data work. Summits like this link them to top firms. Jobs in AI could grow fast as a result.

The summit ends with steps forward. Declarations set shared goals. Councils align nations on key issues. Follow-up work will test if words turn to action.