AI Summit in Delhi 2026 highlights: Day 1 of AI Impact Summit concludes, PM inaugurates expo with over 600 startups

AI Summit in Delhi 2026 LIVE: Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi's Bharat Mandapam, Ministry of Electronics and IT secretary S. Krishnan said that the country is entering a decisive phase in its semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions, with sustained policy backing, competitive compute pricing, and long-term investments aimed at building sovereign capabilities

Noting the huge response on the first day of the event, he said that the energy and attendance exceeded expectations and reflected strong global interest in India's AI and semiconductor ecosystem.

Krishnan also traced the policy foundation back to the National Policy on Electronics in 2012 and its acceleration after 2014.

“Ever since the national policy on electronics in 2012...post-2014 we have significantly attempted to add to our hardware progress,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

AI Summit in Delhi 2026 LIVE: Shiprocket CEO and MD Saahil Goel on Monday said that artificial intelligence is set to play a pivotal role in scaling India's e-commerce sector by creating digital access for millions of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and reducing operational friction, reported news agency ANI.

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Goel noted that while his platform has enabled over four lakh businesses to go online, there are still 60 million MSMEs in India that remain to be integrated into the digital economy and that the real power of AI lies in creating seamless access across the country.

AI Summit in Delhi 2026 LIVE: Chief economic advisor V Anantha Nageswaran on Monday said AI adoption cannot just happen by drift and that requires a clear commitment to aligning technological adoption with mass employability.

As he virtually addressed a session at the AI Impact Summit 2026, Nageswaran underlined that countries need to move decisively by strengthening foundation or education, high quality skills, expanding labor-intensive service sectors, and removing the regulatory bottlenecks.

Calling the adaption a collaborative approach, he said that it would require a ‘Team India’ effort from the private sector and academics to policymakers.

“The window is open still, but it is not indefinite. We must act and act now,” news agency ANI reported quoting him as he added that there is a need for urgency to adopt AI.

AI Summit in Delhi 2026 LIVE: Co-founder of AI4India, Alok Agrawal on Monday said that artificial Intelligence (AI) will not eliminate jobs but transform them, and that India is poised to emerge as a major global AI force.

He emphasized that technological disruption has historically created more opportunities than it has eliminated and added that the India summit will help the country to be projected as an AI nation, reported news agency ANI.

Drawing parallels with earlier technological revolutions, he said, “All the panelists believed that as old technology came, like computers, mobile phones, apps, that time (also) some jobs were finished but many new jobs were created,”

AI Summit in Delhi 2026 LIVE: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Monday extended its 'UPI One World' wallet service to international delegates attending the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at New Delhi's Bharat Mandapam, including visitors from over 40 countries, reported news agency ANI.

The service would permit inbound foreign travellers to perform real-time Person-to-Merchant (P2M) transactions across India without requiring a local bank account or an Indian mobile number.

Executive director of NPCI Sohini Rajola said, “UPI is the world's largest real-time payment system. By extending the 'UPI One World' service to foreign guests at the India AI Impact Summit, we are providing a convenient way to experience India's real-time payments ecosystem and Made in India technology. This initiative also offers a glimpse into how smoother cross-border payment systems can support a more connected global digital economy.”

AI Summit in Delhi 2026 LIVE: CEO of Prisme.ai and global banking sector veteran Wafaa Amal put forward two considerate beliefs at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

Speaking to Hindustan Times at the summit, she said, “India is a case study for a lot of countries who have the same means and yet they are a step behind, especially with the same level of constraints with regulation and sovereign solutions,” and that AI no longer needs to be proven, but industrialized.

“We can say we are behind in Europe, as are some other countries, because regulation is very hard. I know India has similar requirements as well. From my point of view, India is a case study that we can learn from,” Amal said noting India’s AI journey.

French AI company Prisme.ai works with a global customer base, with particular focus on sovereign agentic AI solutions for enterprises — this includes private cloud and reversibility, which Amal insists are non-negotiable.

Read full article here.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: Addressing a session in the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Monday, union minister Jitin Prasada said that India has the highest level of artificial intelligence (AI) skill penetration and has adopted a policy approach of avoiding over-regulation to ensure innovation thrives.

Noting that the present government is agile and listens to all ideas and that it finetunes its policies, programmes, as per the need of the hour, he stated that the country has the required trajectory, speed, and scale to offer to the world in the AI space, reported news agency PTI.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada on Monday said that every stakeholder, from industry and startups to researchers and youth, must contribute to making India a global AI leader.

Speaking at the AI Impact Summit, the minister underlined that the country's ambition is not just to be an AI consumer but an AI service provider to the world, news agency ANI reported.

“It's not only about the government making policies, but about every stakeholder, from industry to startups, to our young innovators and researchers. Every person has a stake and skin in the game,” Prasada said.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: In his take on the AI Impact Summit 2026, vice president and managing director for the India region at Intel Corporation Santhosh Viswanathan told HT that India finds itself at a pivotal moment, needing to define itself as a material market with data center infrastructure, AI for masses, and PC penetration.

Stressing on the fact that the western countries are pursuing a capital-intensive race toward frontier models and “super-intelligence,” Viswanathan underlined that India should not attempt to compete directly and shift focus to a ‘horizontal layer,’ bringing AI to the masses through scalable applications.

Read the full article here.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani on Monday called artifical intellgence (AI) ‘relentless’ adding that “It is happening whether you like it or not.”

Bikhchandani, who participated in a session at the AI Impact Summit that began in the national capital on Monday also said that AI is both a threat and an opportunity, and that it will create new jobs, news agency ANI reported.

“AI is both a threat and an opportunity. Some jobs will be lost, and many will be created. The way forward is to upskill and learn AI platforms. To have this AI Summit here is very good as it brings focus on AI, which is a huge force and an emerging technology,” Bikhchandani said.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: The chief AI scientist at Reliance Jio is looking to expand his team — and he has found the perfect place to do so, at the India AI Impact Summit.

Gaurav Aggarwal, Chief AI Scientist at Reliance Jio, has announced that he will be at the AI summit in Delhi this entire week, and “cracked engineers” who want to work at Jio can reach out to him to get their applications fast-tracked.

More on what he said: Here

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: Tech billionaire and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla has predicted that IT services and BPOs will “almost completely disappear” within five years due to artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Speaking to HT ahead of the India AI Summit, Khosla warned that AI would wipe out most expertise-based professions within 15 years, though it could democratise access to healthcare and education.

Full interview is here.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan on Monday said that the country was promoting a British version for AI after he arrived at Bengaluru as the first part of his tour to India for the AI Impact Summit.

“We are promoting a British vision for AI, rooted in our technological heritage and driven by ambition, to spread opportunity across the UK and work with global allies,” news agency PTI reported quoting Narayan as saying.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: Secretary for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology S. Krishnan on Monday said that the AI Impact Summit is proving to be a very large event.

“I think the summit itself is proving to be a very large event. We are expecting at least 20 heads of state and heads of government. We are expecting leaders from about seven or eight international organisations, including the United Nations Secretary-General,” PTI reported quoting him as saying.

The secretary added that India is expecting ministers from about 45 countries and, in addition, representations from close to 100 countries. Around 400 booths are being set up, featuring most of the leading companies from India and overseas in the AI space.

“It is going to be a huge show in terms of both the expo and the nearly 600 parallel sessions across multiple venues. Therefore, we would like to give as many people as possible the opportunity to come, visit, and see for themselves what is unfolding at Bharat Mandapam between 16 and 20 February,” he said.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Monday issued an advisory in view of the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam.

Emphasizing on possible traffic congestions across nodal points in the city, airport authorities advised passengers to plan their journey accordingly and consider public transport options, the main being Delhi Metro - Magenta line for Terminal 1 and Airport Express line for Terminal 2 and 3.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Monday took to his official X handle to announce that he would deliver a session at the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam today.

“Excited to be speaking at the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi,” Chadha wrote on X.

The session which is set to begin at 1.30 pm is titled ‘Power, protection and progress - Legislators and the AI era’.

Calling the summit ‘a defining moment’ he said that it would influence how the nation would govern, build, and protect citizens in the years ahead.

“As legislators, we must stay a step ahead and see it evolves within a framework of law and accountability. I look forward to participate in a serious conversation on power, protection and progress,” Chadha added.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: As the AI Impact summit kicked off, at 9.30 am, around 14 sessions began at Bharat Mandapam.

Here are the list of sessions that started at 9.30 am:

1. Inside India's Frontier Lab and Its Global South Impact

2. Her First Algorithm, India's Next Breakthrough

3. AI for Smart and Resilient Agriculture: From Research to Solutions

4. Culturally - Grounded AI: How Social Norms Can Inform AI Systems

5. The Future of Employability in the Age of AI

6. AI and the Future of Skilling: Strengthening Human Capital and Transforming Higher Education Institutions

7. Safe & Trusted AI at Scale

8. Multilingual AI in Universities - Advancing Inclusion Through UA and Stakeholder Insights

9. Leadership Talk: Harnessing AI for the Future of Learning and Work

10. Reimagining Gender in Technology - Designing Safer Digital Futures and Advancing Ethical AI for Inclusive Platforms

11. Embedding Trust in Innovation: AI Governance and Quality Infrastructure for Growth

12. From Vision to Action: Scaling Equitable AI Advisory Systems Through AGX AI

13. AI for Road Safety: Data-Driven Solutions for Enhancing Road Safety in India

14. Harnessing AI to Transform India's Judicial Ecosystem

Audience can stream the sessions at the AI Impact Summit 2026 official website or visit https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/sessions

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: PM Modi took to his X handle to welcome world leaders, captains of industry, innovators, policymakers, researchers and tech enthusiasts from across the world to the AI Impact Summit.

Emphasizing on the theme, “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya,” the Prime Minister mentioned India's shared commitment to harnessing Artificial Intelligence for human-centric progress.

“Starting today, India hosts the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. I warmly welcome world leaders, captains of industry, innovators, policymakers, researchers and tech enthusiasts from across the world for this Summit. The theme of the Summit is Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya or welfare for all, happiness for all, reflecting our shared commitment to harnessing Artificial Intelligence for human-centric progress,” the PM wrote.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pride in India hosting the AI Impact Summit this year.

In a post on X, he said, “It is a matter of immense pride for us that people from all over the world are coming to India for the India AI Impact Summit. This also shows the capability of our country’s youth. This occasion is further proof that our country is progressing rapidly in the field of science and technology and is making an important contribution to global development.”

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: As the first day of the summit clashes with Class 10th board exams, traffic police said that special nodal officers for these schools should ensure students do not face any difficulties reaching the exam centres, HT earlier reported.

“Board exams are scheduled for 10 schools on the VVIP route, starting February 17th. The traffic police have deployed special nodal officers for these schools to ensure students do not face any difficulties reaching the exam centres,” police said.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: In view of the crucial summit and the possible traffic diversions due to VVIP movements, Delhi traffic police strongly recommended the usage of public transport, especially Delhi Metro, which is expected to function smoothly throughout all days of the summit.

The metro station near Gate 10, Pragati Maidan is the most convenient entry point.

For those arriving by private vehicles, parking has been designated at the Delhi Zoo, National Stadium, and Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium, with shuttle services plying to and from the summit venues.

To ensure digital connectivity, telecom operators have been directed to optimise their networks around Bharat Mandapam for uninterrupted mobile data services, officials said.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: According to an advisory by Delhi Traffic Police, here is the list of routes that would be hit by traffic congestions in view of the VIP movement for the AI Impact Summit 2026:

• Mathura Road, from Subramanian Bharti Marg to Lodhi Road Flyover
• Akbar Road
• Janpath
• Shanti Path
• Satya Marg
• Africa Avenue
• APJ Abdul Kalam Road
• Tilak Marg
• Bhagwan Das Road

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: As the AI Impact Summit is set to kick off at Bharat Mandapam in a few hours, the city is expected to see traffic congestions across crucial points.

Shuttle services will ply from parking facilities located at Purana Qila Parking, Zoo Parking Space, and JLN Stadium Parking to Bharat Mandapam Gate 4, HT earlier reported.

Delegates will also get access to a golf cart to reach the convention centre after entering through Gate 4.

Entry will be open from Gate 2 of Sushma Swaraj Bhawan for pedestrians, metro users, drop-off, and self-driven vehicles.

Bhairo Mandir Parking, which has been allocated for nearly 600 media professionals, will not be available for shuttle services.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: Starting today, the AI impact summit, which is all set to brace New Delhi will be attended by a host of prominent people across the globe.

Sundar Pichai (Alphabet Inc.), Sam Altman (OpenAI), Demis Hassabis (DeepMind), and Dario Amodei (Anthropic) are all slated to attend the event.

French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron and Brazil’s Lula da Silva will also grace the occassion with their presence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has increasingly linked Viksit Bharat 2047 goals to technological sovereignty, is expected to engage in a series of closed-door “CEO firesides” after he inaugurates the event on Monday evening.

AI Impact Summit Delhi 2026 LIVE: A UK delegation led by deputy PM David Lammy and AI minister Kanishka Narayan said that the summit is a key event. “This summit is an important moment in determining how we can work together with our international partners to unlock the full benefits and potential of AI, while baking in robust and fair safety standards that protect us all,” Lammy was quoted as saying, by news agency PTI, in a pre-summit statement.

The delegation also expressed interest on how AI can improve everyday life in every corner of the world and make the case for AI as an engine of renewal that can help doctors diagnose faster, teachers personalise learning, councils deliver services in minutes and businesses create the next generation of good jobs.