The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Thursday officially unveiled the logo and key initiatives for the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, a landmark event set to position India as a global hub for responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence. This will be the first time a Global South nation hosts the prestigious summit, which will be guided by the principles of People, Planet, and Progress.
The newly unveiled logo draws inspiration from the Ashoka Chakra, representing ethical governance, justice, and India’s constitutional values. Radiating from the chakra are neural network flares symbolizing AI’s power to bridge linguistic, industrial, and geographical divides and create inclusive progress.
Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, who presided over the launch ceremony, hailed the progress of the IndiaAI Mission. “Our goal was to provide advanced compute facilities to a large number of students and researchers. We had targeted 10,000 GPUs, and today we are at 38,000 GPUs, which is remarkable progress,” he said. He further emphasized that the AI Data Labs are strategically located across diverse regions to ensure inclusive growth and democratized access to technology, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of equal opportunity for all. A total of 570 Data Labs are planned across the country to train students and professionals in AI and data-related skills.
The government also announced the dedication of 30 IndiaAI Data and AI Labs, the first phase of a 570-lab network, with 27 established in partnership with NIELIT across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and three state-of-the-art facilities set up with Intel in Mokokchung, Mhow, and Mohali. These labs will offer foundational training in data annotation and curation, equipping students and professionals to participate in the growing AI economy.
Further strengthening India’s AI ecosystem, the IndiaAI Fellowship Program has been expanded to support 13,500 scholars – including 8,000 undergraduates, 5,000 postgraduates, and 500 PhD researchers across disciplines such as engineering, medicine, law, commerce, and liberal arts. A new Fellowship Portal will allow digital applications, mentorship tracking, and progress monitoring.
The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 will be held on February 19-20, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, and is expected to witness participation from heads of state, global leaders, policymakers, researchers, industry experts, and innovators from around the world. The summit will focus on the transformative role of AI in enabling inclusive development, sustainability, and equitable growth, while charting a future where AI serves humanity and advances global collaboration.
A major highlight of the summit will be the launch of eight foundational AI model initiatives under the IndiaAI Foundation Models program. These projects – selected from over 500 proposals – aim to create multilingual and domain-specific models for sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, governance, science, and industrial innovation. They include specialized “AI Avatars” optimized for Indian languages and domains, a multilingual model consortium led by IIT Bombay, and India’s first large reasoning model for structured problem-solving developed by Fractal Analytics. Other projects will focus on Indic language models, scientific discovery, material sciences, and neurological research, laying the foundation for India’s leadership in AI innovation.
The two-day summit will feature a range of flagship initiatives, including the AI Pitch Fest (UDAAN) to showcase innovative AI startups from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, global innovation challenges for youth and women, a high-level research symposium, and an AI Expo featuring over 300 exhibitors from India and 30 countries.
Framed around three guiding Sutras – People, Planet, and Progress – and seven thematic Chakras, the summit will explore human capital development, safe and trusted AI, democratization of resources, and AI-driven solutions for economic development and social good.
By convening world leaders, policymakers, researchers, and innovators, the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 aims to shape a shared global vision where AI serves as a force for inclusive growth, sustainable development, and equitable progress for all.
