The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 is set to commence at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today, marking the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South. World leaders from twenty nations, ministerial delegations from over 45 countries, and the UN Secretary-General will participate in the five-day deliberations.

Over 100 countries have been invited, with more than 2 lakh people registered online.

The summit has attracted an impressive roster of global leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, and Swiss President Guy Parmelin will be among the key participants. Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof and UAE's Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will also attend.

From the South Asian and Indian Ocean region, Prime Minister of Mauritius Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Disanayaka, Vice President of Seychelles Sebastien Pillay, and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay will participate in the deliberations.

Leaders from Bolivia, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Guyana, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Serbia, and Slovakia are also set to join the summit.

The Summit is guided by three core principles articulating global cooperation on AI. These are People, emphasizing human-centric AI development; Planet, focusing on sustainable and environmentally conscious AI; and Progress, ensuring inclusive advancement through technology.

The Summit's deliberations are organized through seven interconnected thematic Chakras or Working Groups. These include Human Capital, Inclusion for Social Empowerment, Safe and Trusted AI, Science, Resilience, Innovation and Efficiency, Democratizing AI Resources, AI for Economic Development, and AI for Social Good.

The Summit positions India as a global convenor for responsible, inclusive, and development-focused AI cooperation, marking a transition from dialogue to delivery.