New Delhi: In a calibrated push to reposition itself on India’s technology map, Bihar will unveil its ambitions to become Eastern India’s artificial intelligence and semiconductor hub at the India AI Impact Summit and Expo 2026, scheduled from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam. With participation from global technology giants, policymakers and investors from over 100 countries, the summit is expected to serve as a strategic launchpad for Bihar’s technology-led economic transformation.

At the centre of Bihar’s outreach is a dedicated state pavilion in Hall 5-F, Stall Numbers 8 and 12, aimed at showcasing the state’s emerging IT ecosystem, policy reforms, and investment potential in artificial intelligence, global capability centres (GCCs), and semiconductor manufacturing.

The Bihar Pavilion will be formally inaugurated on February 18 by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh will attend as Chief Guest, while Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh will preside over the event. Several Members of Parliament, senior bureaucrats and global technology executives are expected to participate.

Technology multinationals, including Google, NVIDIA and OpenAI, have confirmed participation, underscoring the summit’s growing global significance as a platform for AI-driven collaboration.

The pavilion’s operations are being supervised by Abhay Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Government of Bihar, along with Special Secretary Arvind Kumar Choudhary.

The Bihar government will use the summit to present its recently approved Bihar GCC Policy, 2026, and Bihar Semiconductor Policy, 2026—two frameworks designed to attract multinational companies, promote research and development, and generate employment in emerging technology sectors.

Officials indicated that key announcements are expected during the summit related to technology missions, startup incentives, and infrastructure expansion aimed at building a robust AI-enabled industrial ecosystem.

Startups, entrepreneurs and innovators from Bihar have been allotted stalls free of cost by the state’s IT Department, allowing them to demonstrate their capabilities to international investors and technology firms. Special investor-startup interaction sessions are planned to facilitate funding opportunities, joint ventures, and cross-border collaborations.

The five-day summit will take place at Bharat Mandapam, India’s flagship convention venue that has hosted high-level international gatherings, including the G20 Summit. The timing of Bihar’s showcase aligns with the rapid global expansion of AI markets and India’s push to position itself as a trusted digital innovation hub.

For decades, Bihar has struggled with industrial stagnation, migration-driven workforce depletion and limited private sector investment. The government’s aggressive technology-first strategy signals a deliberate attempt to shift from a labour-exporting state to a knowledge-driven economy.

Senior officials say the twin policies on GCCs and semiconductors are designed to attract multinational corporations seeking cost-effective alternatives to saturated metropolitan technology centres.

The move also aligns with India’s national objective of reducing semiconductor import dependency and strengthening domestic chip manufacturing capacity.

Bihar’s strategy hinges on three pillars:

Policy incentives: Tax benefits, infrastructure support and ease-of-doing-business reforms aimed at attracting global technology firms.

Startup enablement: Free exhibition space, investor access and international exposure for Bihar-based innovators.

Global partnerships: Direct engagement with technology giants and investors to facilitate knowledge transfer and investment.

Government officials believe the summit will catalyse investment flows and accelerate Bihar’s transition into a technology-driven economy.

Strategic implications: Bihar’s tech pivot carries national significance

Bihar’s participation reflects a broader shift in India’s technology geography, with emerging states competing to attract AI and semiconductor investments traditionally concentrated in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune.

If successful, Bihar’s push could alter Eastern India’s economic landscape, generate high-skilled employment, and reduce regional disparities in India’s technology ecosystem.

The India AI Impact Summit and Expo 2026, therefore, is not merely a technology exhibition—it represents a critical inflection point in Bihar’s attempt to rewrite its economic narrative and claim a stake in the global AI economy.