The India AI Impact Summit 2026 will focus on the theme “Democratising AI, Bridging the AI Divide”, with an emphasis on making artificial intelligence widely accessible as a horizontal, enabling technology that supports inclusive global development, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said on Monday.
Briefing the media in New Delhi, Secretary, MeitY, S. Krishnan said the growing concentration of AI capabilities in a few geographies and companies poses a major global challenge. “AI must be made widely available to ensure countries across the world have access to critical infrastructure such as compute, data and models. Broader access will enable the development of context-specific AI solutions tailored to the needs of societies and communities,” he said.
The press conference was attended by senior officials from MeitY and its allied organisations, including IndiaAI Mission, Digital India Corporation, NIC, India Semiconductor Mission, NeGD and CERT-In, among others.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026, being organised under the IndiaAI Mission, aims to position India as a global advocate for responsible and inclusive AI, particularly for developing economies and the Global South.
According to MeitY, the summit will be guided by three core principles — People, Planet and Progress — and structured around seven thematic working groups covering human capital development, inclusive and locally relevant AI systems, safe and trusted governance frameworks, sustainable and energy-efficient AI, scientific collaboration, democratisation of AI resources, and the use of AI for economic growth and social good.
The Ministry said the themes were finalised after months of consultations, including public feedback, engagement with more than 500 organisations, and international discussions held in cities such as Tokyo, New York, Paris and Oslo.
The summit will also feature several flagship global initiatives, including Young Innovators Using Artificial Intelligence (YUVAi), AI by HER and AI for All, which have together attracted over 15,000 registrations from 135 countries and received around 4,700 submissions, with strong participation from the Global South.
Other key events include the India AI Tinkerpreneur Challenge showcasing innovations by school students, UDAAN — a global AI pitch fest for startups, international compendiums highlighting AI use cases across sectors, an AI Impact Expo at Bharat Mandapam, and a Research Symposium showcasing frontier AI research from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
As part of the build-up to the summit, India has organised around 300 pre-summit events globally, with 57 already held across more than 25 countries. Regional AI Impact Conferences are also being conducted to ensure broader participation and alignment with India’s long-term development goals.
