The First Global AI Summit in the Global South
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from February 16 to 21, 2026, becoming the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South.
It followed the AI Action Summit in Paris (2025), the AI Seoul Summit (2024), and the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (2023), but shifted focus from AI safety and governance toward practical impact, implementation, and measurable outcomes.
The summit was anchored on three foundational pillars, or "Sutras" — People, Planet, and Progress — and featured an India AI Impact Expo with over 300 exhibitors from 30 countries, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 16.
The event drew approximately 6 lakh in-person attendees and over 9 lakh cumulative virtual views, with delegations from more than 100 countries and 20 international organisations.
The New Delhi Declaration and a World Record
On February 19, 2026, the summit concluded its core sessions with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, endorsed by 92 countries and international organisations, guided by the principle "Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya" (Welfare for all, Happiness for all).
The Declaration is structured around seven pillars ("Chakras"), covering human capital development, broadening access for social empowerment, trustworthiness of AI systems, energy efficiency of AI, use of AI in science, democratising AI resources, and using AI for economic growth and social good.
During the summit, India also set a Guinness World Record for the "Most pledges received for an AI responsibility campaign in 24 hours," collecting over 2.5 lakh validated pledges.
On the sidelines, Prime Minister Modi held meetings with global tech leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, while companies such as G42 and Credo AI signed cooperation agreements, reflecting growing private-sector engagement with India's AI ecosystem.
Key facts to remember: the summit dates (Feb 16-21, 2026), the New Delhi Declaration endorsed by 92 countries, and its seven "Chakras" framework.
Source: pib.gov.in
