New Delhi, February 16: The India AI Impact Summit 2026 opened to packed halls and global attention at Bharat Mandapam on Monday, with the first day setting the tone for what organisers describe as one of the largest AI gatherings hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026, marking the formal start of the summit proceedings that will run until February 20. Visitors queued up outside exhibition halls through the day, reflecting the scale of interest the event has generated both in India and internationally.
Expo becomes Day 1’s biggest attraction
The Expo quickly emerged as the centrepiece of the opening day. Spread across 10 arenas covering over 70,000 square metres, the exhibition brings together startups, global technology firms, research institutions, government bodies, and international partners under one roof.
One of the major attractions is the presence of more than 600 high potential startups, which are exhibiting solutions in various sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, disaster management, and digital governance, among others.
The Prime Minister took time to visit various stalls, where he interacted with the founders of the startups and representatives of various companies. Official updates suggest that he interacted with a number of entrepreneurs and researchers who are participating in the event.
In a message shared later, Modi described the exhibition as offering a “glimpse of the extraordinary potential of AI, Indian talent and innovation,” adding that participants would help shape solutions not just for India but for the world.
Global participation signals India’s AI ambitions
Organisers say the summit is drawing policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and innovators from across the world, positioning India as an emerging voice in shaping global AI conversations.
The Expo includes 13 country pavilions, highlighting international collaboration in the AI ecosystem, with participation from countries including the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Australia and others.
The summit itself is expected to host over 20 heads of state, 60 ministers and around 500 global AI leaders over its multi-day run, making it one of the largest gatherings focused on AI policy and deployment.
Officials also confirmed that the event has already recorded over 2.5 lakh registrations from participants across India and abroad, underlining the scale of interest in the event.
Policy, industry and real-world AI use cases dominate discussions
Beyond the expo floors, Day 1 also saw multiple high-level sessions and panel discussions examining how artificial intelligence can be deployed across sectors.
One of the major discussions was organized by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and it was based on the theme “Scaling AI for Public Health Impact: Public-Private Partnership.” The discussion centered on how AI can enhance healthcare delivery systems and public health outcomes.
The officials discussed how the digital health landscape in India has developed over the last ten years, with the development of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which has established a massive interoperable health data infrastructure, making it possible to use emerging technologies such as AI in healthcare.
AI applications on display included systems supporting digital prescriptions, disease surveillance tools for early outbreak detection, and AI-powered decision-support tools for clinical use, showing how technology is moving from pilot projects into real-world deployment.
India’s digital scale seen as competitive advantage
Industry leaders participating in sessions through the day pointed to India’s experience in deploying technology at scale as a key advantage in AI adoption.
Executives noted that India’s success with digital public infrastructure platforms demonstrates how large-scale technology delivery is possible, something increasingly critical in AI deployment across sectors.
Speakers also emphasised India’s role in making AI more accessible for the Global South, particularly through language technologies and scalable digital platforms.
AI Impact Summit 2026: A busy start, bigger days ahead
Day 1 concluded with continuing sessions and expo walkthroughs as delegates and visitors moved across packed halls late into the evening.
With ministerial dialogues, CEO roundtables, sector-specific discussions and additional policy announcements lined up over the coming days, organisers expect momentum to build further as more global delegations and industry leaders arrive in Delhi.
For now, the opening day has achieved what organisers aimed for: signalling India’s intent to place itself at the centre of conversations on how artificial intelligence can be developed and deployed for large-scale societal impact.
And judging by the crowds at Bharat Mandapam, interest in that conversation is only just beginning.
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