AI Impact Summit 2026: The India AI Impact Summit 2026 kicked off in New Delhi on February 16, positioning the country at the center of the global artificial intelligence conversation. Hosted at Bharat Mandapam, Delhi the event has quickly evolved into a hub for technological diplomacy, bringing together world leaders, top executives, and delegations from some of the most influential AI companies.
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Billed as one of the largest AI gatherings ever held in the Global South, the summit has attracted a high-powered lineup of visionaries shaping the future of artificial intelligence. Among them, seven global tech leaders stand out for their role in influencing not just global AI policy, but also India’s digital and technological trajectory. Here is the list:
After days of speculation, especially following reports that Bill Gates’ name had been dropped from the list of key attendees, it has now been confirmed by the Gates Foundation that he will be attending the event. Focusing on “AI for Social Good,” Gates is expected to advocate for AI-driven solutions in areas such as global health and agriculture. His presence reinforces the summit’s emphasis on leveraging artificial intelligence to empower grassroots workers and small-scale farmers.
Sundar Pichai is advocating for an AI-centric future in India by adapting Gemini models to various Indian languages. This effort aims to allow Google to create more inclusive AI tools for education and healthcare across the country.
Sam Altman, a prominent figure in generative AI, considers India to be a 'comprehensive AI leader.' At the summit, he is focusing on dialogues about international AI safety standards while enhancing OpenAI's presence in India's extensive developer community.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has urged India to harness artificial intelligence to make governance more efficient, citizen‑centric, and responsive to public needs. Speaking at the company’s Builder Summit and in the context of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, he highlighted India’s rapid AI adoption, vast developer engagement, and unique scale as key advantages for innovation.
Amodei also pointed to opportunities in multilingual applications, government data systems, and real‑world use cases like health and agriculture, underscoring the country’s potential to lead responsible AI deployment.
Emphasizing 'Creative Intelligence,' Shantanu Narayen underscores AI's revolutionary impact on the content economy. He continues to serve as a crucial link between the innovative spirit of Silicon Valley and India's expanding digital governance and creative expertise.
Brad Smith is leading the conversation on 'Safe and Trusted AI.' Microsoft's approach focuses on aiding India's public sector and small to medium-sized enterprises by providing a strong cloud infrastructure that complies with both global and local safety regulations.
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Demis Hassabis urged students to become proficient in emerging AI tools, emphasizing that mastering these technologies will be crucial to unlocking their full potential.
Addressing India’s role in the global AI landscape, he said he was deeply impressed by the country’s energy and momentum, particularly the strong optimism among young Indians toward artificial intelligence. Despite resource constraints, Hassabis noted that India’s vast talent pool positions it strongly in the evolving AI ecosystem.