India's AI Summit draws global attention but opens with logistical chaos and security lockdowns

India's Big AI Moment Starts on Chaotic Note as Modi Arrives

Despite the disruption, attendees and speakers expressed optimism about the summit, with some highlighting the significance of India's AI ascendancy and the potential for long-term collaborations and partnerships. India's biggest business summit in years descended into chaos this week after hundreds of delegates were left stranded without food or water during a sudden security lockdown, a black eye for a marquee gathering that was supposed to trumpet the country's AI ascendancy. The chaos that gripped day one of the India AI Summit gave way to a steadier rhythm on Tuesday as attendees moved between the halls of Bharat Mandapam, a vast exhibition complex in New Delhi. Coffee lines were shorter than the previous day, and golf carts ferrying delegates moved easily from one end of the venue to the other. A group of students from a local engineering school walked purposefully toward an exhibition hall where tech companies -- from Nvidia Corp. and Dell Technologies Inc. to Deloitte LLP -- showcased their latest offerings at kiosks. For Moses Thiga, a speaker from Kenya, the scale of the summit is "mind-blowing," and he is struck by the "significant presence" of multinational companies. He had no complaints about the frenzy that unfolded on the opening day, when hundreds of attendees found themselves either locked in or locked out of the venue for hours. Thiga said everything was running smoothly until Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed up. The security detail accompanying him sealed the entire complex, restricting access. Many attendees said they remained indoors for hours without food or water until Modi departed. "Coming from Kenya, I know what 'the government is coming' means. It means everything is shut down," Thiga said. The summit drew more than 250,000 registrations, prompting authorities to implement traffic management and heightened security measures. Armed security personnel were stationed throughout the complex. Two hospital ambulances and a fire truck stood parked near kiosks for Starbucks, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Read More About India's AI Summit Young tech entrepreneurs could be seen taking coffee breaks near the stalls. Sheena Kohli, legal and investment head at US-based NodeOps, said she hopes to draw attention to the company's decentralized AI execution platform. "AI always boils down to compute, and we're here to show that it's not always necessary to rely on big players and face huge bills from day one. There are cost-effective options," Kohli said. She added that the disruption caused by Modi's visit should not overshadow the event. Kohli said she did not face difficulties and sees operations settling as attendees grow more familiar with the venue and its security protocols. Inside one exhibition hall, where companies demonstrated AI features embedded in their software and hardware, Elisabeth L'Orange, an equity partner at Deloitte, networked with Indian peers. She had planned to fly to Mumbai on Tuesday but extended her stay by a day after being unable to explore the summit during Monday's security lockdown. Part of a government delegation representing Hamburg, Germany, Lorange said they are looking at India because of its population scale, software industry and track record of producing global tech leaders. "Many engineers come from India, including to Germany. There's also significant offshoring, and we do a great deal of development work with India. Given how much technology and talent is coming out of the country, it's something we're keen to look at more closely," she said. Layered onto this is a broader geopolitical unease. The shift in global order under US President Donald Trump -- and the unpredictability it introduced into transatlantic ties -- echoes among some European delegates. Philippe Wieczorek of an AI research institute at Université Grenoble Alpes, said he's looking at India as a potential partner when it comes to AI and sovereignty. Under Trump's presidency, he said the US is not a reliable partner when it comes to data sharing. "On the AI side, the concern is that AI consumes a lot of data. With American companies, we provide them with data, and there's skepticism -- even fear -- about how that data is used and whether it could be lost or misused," he said. "Coming to India is not just about visiting and making contacts. It's about building long-term collaborations and partnerships."

India's AI summit: Delegates complain of long queues and confusion on opening day

India's AI Impact Summit, billed as a landmark gathering of global leaders and technology executives, was overshadowed by logistical chaos on its opening day in Delhi on Monday. Participants complained about long queues, overcrowding and confusion at the venue, saying they had to wait for hours. Some also reported limited access to food and water and said their products were stolen from their stall. The five-day summit, inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi, is being promoted as the first major international AI meeting hosted in the Global South. More than 100 countries are taking part, with technology leaders including Sam Altman of OpenAI and Sundar Pichai of Alphabet Inc expected to attend. Speaking at the inauguration, Modi said the summit showcased "the extraordinary potential of AI, Indian talent and innovation", adding that India aimed to shape solutions "not just for India but for the world". India's Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the summit intended to look at both the benefits and harms of AI. In the next few days, "we are basically looking at and measuring what [AI's] impact on human society is going to be", he said. But the opening day was marred by complaints of poor crowd management at the summit venue Bharat Mandapam. By Monday afternoon, social media was flooded with complaints from founders, exhibitors and delegates who said security sweeps and last-minute closures left them stranded outside exhibition halls. Maitreya Wagh, co-founder of voice AI start-up Bolna, wrote on X that he was unable to access his company's booth after gates were closed. Punit Jain, founder of tech platform Reskill, described "7 AM queues" followed by hours of waiting and a "full evacuation" before the prime minister's arrival. Reuters reported that some speakers were still awaiting confirmation of their session timings, adding to concerns over mismanagement. Dhananjay Yadav, founder of wearable AI start-up NeoSapiens, alleged that products from his company's stall were stolen at the venue. Writing on X, he said the firm had spent heavily on travel, accommodation and exhibition space, "only to see our wearables disappear inside a high-security zone". Several attendees also complained about payment arrangements at food stalls inside the venue, saying food counters were accepting only cash and not digital payments, adding to the inconvenience, particularly for international visitors. Soumya Sharma, founder of healthcare-focused Livo AI, said several discussions were held behind closed doors and that security shut down sessions because of overcrowding, preventing many delegates from taking part. The closures, he suggested, undercut the summit's ambition to showcase India's AI ecosystem to a global audience. While he said he attended some "excellent sessions", Sharma added that operational lapses risked overshadowing the substance of the event. "Unless we get the basics right, we cannot claim to be utilising AI to its fullest," he wrote on X. "AI is only part of the system. We must solve basic on-ground issues first." Organisers and the government have yet to respond publicly to the complaints. The BBC has reached out to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for a comment.

Ashwini Vaishnaw Says AI Is the 5th Industrial Revolution

India will create a UPI-like platform for bouquet of AI services On the second day of the country's inaugural AI Impact Summit, the Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (IT), Ashwini Vaishnaw, spoke about artificial intelligence (AI), India's global standing in this technology, and several other related topics. The Minister also addressed the concerns about deepfakes and highlighted the need for stricter regulation. He also hinted that India could witness a massive investment in the AI space over the next two years. Additionally, he also apologised for any inconvenience experienced by visitors on the first day of the AI Impact Summit. Ashwini Vaishnaw Speaks at AI Impact Summit On the commitment from global tech companies, Vaishnaw highlighted that all the top executives (of major AI companies) are present at the event and are participating in nearly twenty sessions across the five days. "AI deployment is expanding across virtually every sector. It is the fifth industrial revolution, and it has the potential to impact every aspect of the economy and society," Vaishnaw said, adding, "We have seen transformative solutions, particularly in healthcare, where AI can make services more affordable, and in education, where learning can be tailored to the needs of each student. These examples demonstrate the vast possibilities that AI offers across sectors." The IT Minister also said that India stands in a very strong position in terms of technology across all five layers of the AI stack. "So far, in the coming two years, we should be seeing more than $200 billion (roughly Rs. 18.13 lakh crore) investment across the five layers of the AI stack," he said. In an interaction with NDTV, the Union Minister said that India is being seen as a trusted AI partner to the Global South due to its open, affordable, and development-focused solutions. He also cited Stanford University's 2025 Global AI Index to highlight that India is ranked 3rd globally when it comes to AI. Vaishnaw said that Indian AI systems are being developed keeping the country's cultural context in mind to ensure that the national subtleties are not missed. To this goal, local models are being trained primarily on Indian data to ensure relevance, inclusivity, and sensitivity to local norms and practices remain as part of the AI's working memory. He also stressed the importance of self-reliance when it comes to AI. "We do not want to be dependent on others for our strategic requirements; this is part of sovereign AI," Vaishnaw said at the AI Impact Summit. On concerns around AI-generated media and deepfakes, the IT Minister said, "I think we need a stronger regulation on deepfakes. It is a problem growing day by day. We need to protect our society from this harm. We have initiated a dialogue with the industry on this." Additionally, he also mentioned that global tech companies such as Netflix and Meta should work as per the country's legal framework and cultural context. Interestingly, Vaishnaw revealed plans to create a UPI-like platform which provides a bouquet of AI solutions for developers and enterprises. Calling it "AI ka UPI," he said that the Government was focused on making AI accessible, secure, and scalable for developers and innovations in the country. Finally, the Union IT Minister also addressed concerns of mismanagement at the event, after several visitors took to social media platforms to criticise the arrangement and handling of the booths and food stalls. Calling it the biggest AI summit in the world, Vaishnaw said, "If anybody has faced any problems yesterday, we apologise for that. Whatever feedback you have, please share it with us. We will make efforts to make the experience smoother and enjoyable for all of you."

AI Summit: Aswini Vaishnaw unveils 'New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments'

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveiled the New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments. This voluntary framework involves global AI companies and Indian innovators. It aims for inclusive and responsible artificial intelligence development. The initiative focuses on understanding real-world AI usage and strengthening multilingual AI evaluations. India leads a Global South-led framework for AI governance. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday unveiled the "New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments", a voluntary framework adopted by leading global frontier AI companies and Indian innovators to promote inclusive and responsible artificial intelligence development. Also Read: PM Modi gives MANAV vision, pitches 'develop in India, develop for the world' Describing it as a significant outcome of the India AI Impact Summit, Vaishnaw said the commitments reflect a shared vision for AI that balances innovation with equity and real-world impact, particularly from a Global South perspective. He outlined two key pledges under the initiative. The first focuses on advancing understanding of real-world AI usage through anonymised and aggregated insights to support evidence-based policymaking on jobs, skills and economic transformation. The second aims to strengthen multilingual and contextual evaluations of AI systems to ensure they function effectively across languages, cultures and practical use cases. Also Read: India has central role in shaping AI's future, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says Vaishnaw said the effort positions India at the forefront of shaping a Global South-led framework for AI governance, ensuring that technological progress remains inclusive, development-oriented and globally relevant. The announcements were made at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and global technology leaders. (With inputs from PTI)

AI Summit: Ashwini Vaishnaw lays out five-layer strategy to power inclusive growth

New Delhi: The AI-India Impact summit on Thursday witnessed the welcome of high profile heads of state by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at the summit, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday outlined India's comprehensive five-layer artificial intelligence strategy at the first global AI Summit hosted in the country, calling it the "biggest AI summit so far" with participation from 118 countries. "Welcome to the first AI summit in the global south and the biggest AI summit so far. We have participation from 118 countries. Thank you all for making this summit a grand success...PM Narendra Modi believes that the true value of technology lies in ensuring that its benefits reach the masses. Our Prime Minister's vision is to democratize technology, deploy it at scale, make it accessible to all," Vaishnaw said. Addressing heads of state, delegates, industry leaders, students and members of the media, Vaishnaw said artificial intelligence is a foundational technology that is already transforming how people work, learn and make decisions. "AI is a foundational technology transforming work and decision-making, and the Prime Minister's vision is to democratise and scale it so its benefits reach the masses. India is working across all five layers of the AI stack, focusing on real-world solutions in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, and finance," he said. "At the model layer, emphasis is placed on sovereignty, with the belief that over 90 per cent of use cases can be addressed through smaller, specialised models that deliver value at lower cost," he added. The Minister highlighted that third layer is compute infrastructure, while the fourth layer is infrastructure and the fifth and final layer is energy. Vaishnaw underscored India's commitment to clean power, stating that more than 50 per cent of the country's installed power generation capacity now comes from renewable and clean energy sources. Referring to a recent policy announcement during the Union Budget, he said India aims to attract global data to be processed within the country, delivering high-value digital services worldwide. He expressed optimism about significant investments in data centres in the coming months. The Minister highlighted India's vision of placing Compute as a tool for doing good for its citizens. "We treat compute as a public good. In a public-private partnership, we have created a common compute platform where we are providing access to 38,000 GPUs at a very affordable rate for our startups, academia, researchers and students. We will be adding another 20,000 GPUs to this common compute platform," Vasihnaw said. The Minister said this integrated, five-layer approach reflects India's ambition to emerge as a trusted and inclusive global AI hub while ensuring that technological progress remains aligned with social and economic development.

India AI Impact Summit 2026 Sets New Global Benchmark as World Leaders Converge at Bharat Mandapam

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 commenced today at Bharat Mandapam, marking the first time that a global convening of this scale on artificial intelligence is being organised in the Global South. The India AI Impact Summit 2026 commenced today at Bharat Mandapam, marking the first time that a global convening of this scale on artificial intelligence is being organised in the Global South. The Summit will bring together the Heads of State and Government, ministers, global technology leaders, eminent researchers, multilateral institutions and industry stakeholders to deliberate on the role of AI in advancing inclusive growth, strengthening public systems and enabling sustainable development.

India Cautions About Deepfake Tech Risks, Highlights Stronger Regulation

The minister was speaking to the media about India's plans to take pole position in the growing global AI ecosystem India is aware of the rising risks posed by deepfake technology and is committed to creating a stronger regulation around deepfakes to counter what is becoming a problem that is growing day-by-day, Union Minister for Electronics and Information and Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has said. He made these comments during a media interaction around the Indian AI Impact Summit 2026, which began at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi yesterday. "We need to protect our society from this harm. We have initiated a dialogue with the industry around this," the minister said while reiterating the need for safeguards to ensure responsible AI use in India. The minister took the opportunity to highlight that AI systems designed in India are being developed keeping in mind the cultural context of the country. Large Language Models (LLM)and other AI tools are being trained on Indian data to ensure relevance, inclusivity, and sensitivity to local norms and practices, he said. Reinforcing the importance of achieving self-reliance in India's AI journey, Vaishnaw said, "we do not want to be dependent on others for our strategic requirements. This is part of sovereign AI." And towards this broader vision, the country is poised to received large investments across the entire AI ecosystem. "So far, in the coming two years, we should be seeing more than $200 billion investment across the five layers of the AI stack," the minister said while underscoring the government's vision of turning the country into a global hub for AI development and infrastructure. "Today, India is being seen as a trusted AI partner to the Global South, seeking open, affordable and development-focused solutions," Vaishnaw said. "A trusted AI ecosystem will attract investment, accelerate adoption," the minister said while noting that building robust infrastructure is a central pillar of India's AI strategy. He also shared plans of creating an "AI ka UPI" that would offer a bouquet of trusted AI solutions. These would be presented as a UPI-like platform and would be available for developers to build on for specific use-cases. He also highlighted the Narendra Modi government's push to make AI accessible, secure, and scale for developers and innovators. The minister said that India expects global tech companies to operate within the country's laws and cultural context. Major brands such as Netflix and Meta must work under the legal framework of India. Though he did not make any pointed references, it appears that Vaishnaw was nudging global giants to ensure that they followed Indian regulations while operating from these shores. Referring to the absence of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang who bailed out a couple of days before the Summit, the minister said they had been informed that the global tech leader had to miss out due to some unavoidable reasons. "Jensen Huang reached out to us and said that due to something really unavoidable, he has deputed his very senior executive to join us. Nvidia is working with some Indian companies for some very large investments in AI in India," Vaishnaw said, underscoring the partnerships that the global GPU maker is eyeing in the Indian AI ecosystem. The minister described artificial intelligence as the fifth industrial revolution witnessed by the world and said its transformative potential across both industries and society was immense. Vaishnaw also reiterated that with its wealth of engineering talent and innovative mindsets, India was ideally placed to lead the AI movement.

India focused on practical applications of AI to solve population-scale challenges: Vaishnaw

Speaking at a research symposium at the AI Impact Summit, the minister also expressed happiness over the strong participation and optimism shown by young people at an AI Expo on Tuesday. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said India is focused on practical applications of AI, including enterprise productivity, and solutions for population-scale challenges such as healthcare, agriculture, and climate change. Speaking at a research symposium at the AI Impact Summit, the minister also expressed happiness over the strong participation and optimism shown by young people at an AI Expo on Tuesday. He informed that about 2.5 lakh attendees, mostly under the age of 30, took part across the exhibition area. "It was a phenomenal response when I interacted with the young minds. I was so surprised by the optimism that most of the young people expressed towards this opportunity which is coming for them," Vaishnaw said. The minister said he was feeling hopeful for a totally new future for India and for the world. "We, in India, are very focused on AI in the edge, AI for use cases, AI for solving real-world problems, AI for improving the productivity in the enterprises, for population-scale problems like healthcare, like agriculture, like climate change. These are things we are focussed on here in India. And the AI submit brings that opportunity," he said. The minister asked participants of the symposium to come out with solid concrete suggestions on how to make AI safe. AI is a great tool and should be used for the benefit of humans. The India AI Impact Summit, one of the country's largest global gatherings on artificial intelligence, has brought together policymakers, industry leaders and technology experts, and deliberations are on around AI innovation, governance and real-world applications in New Delhi.

AI Impact Summit 2026 showcases India's push for real-world deployment

India's AI future is unfolding at the AI Impact Summit 2026. The event highlights AI embedded in everyday technology, moving beyond cloud-based concepts. Drones, wearables, and robots are demonstrating practical applications. Global and Indian companies are showcasing innovations. India's AI narrative appears to be moving beyond the cloud. At the AI Impact Summit 2026, the spotlight is on AI that is already embedded in machines, devices and public infrastructure. Not just slide decks and prototypes. Spread across 70,000 square metres at Bharat Mandapam, the five-day event was inaugurated by Narendra Modi and runs from February 16 to 20. The summit brings together over 300 curated pavilions and more than 600 startups, with a visible shift from demos to deployment. On the exhibition floor, autonomous drones scan crops for disease, wearable devices assist frontline health workers, industrial robots carry out predictive maintenance, and AI tools translate court judgments and government documents into Indian languages. Global tech firms have put up some of the largest showcases. Google is highlighting climate modelling, extreme weather prediction, language tools and an AI cricket coach tailored for Indian users. Microsoft is showcasing secure AI platforms for governance and enterprise adoption, while Nvidia has drawn crowds with live demonstrations of GPU-powered robotics and industrial AI systems. Others, including OpenAI, Qualcomm, Amazon Web Services and Schneider Electric, are positioning their platforms for scale in India, with a focus on cost efficiency and compliance. Indian conglomerates are equally prominent. Tata Group is showcasing AI applications across manufacturing and mobility, HCLTech is focusing on enterprise AI and secure data systems, and Reliance Industries is highlighting use cases in telecom, retail and cloud infrastructure. Country pavilions from Japan, United Kingdom and Germany add to the summit's international pitch, hosting live demonstrations and bilateral discussions. But the floor energy is not just coming from big tech. Startups, students and young innovators are presenting solutions in precision farming, diagnostics, climate resilience and education -- many designed to function offline or in regional languages. Several pavilions are also showcasing indigenous foundation models trained on Indian datasets and built to support all 22 official languages, reflecting a push to ground AI development in local realities, The Times of India reported.

AI Summit 2026: India's Strategic Push in the Global AI Economy

Conceived as a platform to shape the future of AI around inclusivity, responsibility, and real-world impact, the summit has drawn over 20 heads of state, 60 ministers, and hundreds of global business leaders, ranging from established tech giants to ambitious startups, to discuss AI's trajectory, regulation, and economic potential. Yet, the first days of the summit have revealed a complex picture: one of high ambition, palpable economic opportunity, and significant execution challenges that have prompted debate over India's readiness to manage a gathering of this scale. At the summit's core is a vision to move beyond high-level rhetoric on AI safety toward practical, impact-driven outcomes, especially for nations outside long-established hubs like Silicon Valley or Beijing. Discussions span everything from AI governance frameworks to national competitiveness, workforce transformation, ethical use of AI, and infrastructural readiness. One of the defining narratives of the event is India's push to position itself as a hub for AI innovation and governance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurating the summit with the theme of "Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya" (welfare and happiness for all), has framed the summit as evidence of India's growing strategic role in global AI discourse and capacity to harness technology for broad-based socioeconomic benefit. Embedded in summit sessions are initiatives aimed at bolstering India's AI ecosystem, including major investments under the IndiaAI Mission, plans to onboard more than 38,000 GPUs for shared compute access, development of 12 indigenous foundation models, and support for thousands of students in higher-level AI education. Leaders from partner nations and international organizations appear alongside major tech companies, signaling an expanding coalition on AI development principles and shared goals. The stakes extend beyond high-tech hype. Delegates and officials are wrestling with questions about how AI can bolster sustainable growth, create new economic pathways, and improve public services. Governments, think tanks, and businesses are looking at AI as a tool to bridge development gaps, not just automate tasks. The World Bank, for example, emphasizes "small AI" solutions designed for everyday needs in lower-resource contexts, aligning innovation with practical development outcomes. Domestic economics is equally central. India's Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran delivered a keynote underscoring the urgency of aligning AI adoption with mass employability, a reminder that technological transformation must work hand-in-hand with workforce readiness to avoid exacerbating inequality. Further, the summit has become a platform for new infrastructure and financial innovations. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced the extension of its UPI One World wallet service to international visitors from over 40 countries, enabling seamless digital payments for summit delegates, a small but symbolic example of India's push to globalize digital economic infrastructure. Amid mixed feedback, the conference continues to advance high-level dialogue and deals. India's Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed ongoing discussions with more than 30 nations to collaboratively address AI misuse, including the spread of deepfakes and synthetic media, underscoring a rare bipartisan commitment to responsible technology governance. For global investors and executives, the summit remains a landmark convening, a bridge between advanced tech ecosystems and economies eager to leapfrog into future industries. With deal-making roundtables, multilateral negotiations, and commitments expected through the closing days, the summit may yet deliver tangible results on investments and policy frameworks. The AI Impact Summit 2026 may be remembered as a watershed moment: a demonstration of India's ambition to influence AI policy at a global scale while grappling candidly with both its infrastructural strengths and weaknesses. Whether it reshapes the global AI economy, accelerates cross-border governance frameworks, or redefines how emerging markets engage with transformative technology, the summit's legacy will depend on the substantive follow-through in policy, investment, and implementation in the months and years ahead.

India AI Summit in New Delhi marred by logistics issues on Day 1 fiasco panned on social media - The Economic Times

The five-day summit, which is ongoing at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, kicked off on February 16 amid high expectations, with addresses by global tech leaders and Indian startups slated for the coming days.The India AI Impact Summit, touted as a gathering of top minds in artificial intelligence (AI), fell into a social media storm on its first day, with attendees and speakers slamming the organisers over shoddy management, air pollution, gridlocked traffic, and even shortage of water. The five-day summit, which is ongoing at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, kicked off on February 16 amid high expectations, with addresses by global tech leaders and Indian startups slated for the coming days. The focus was meant to be on emerging technologies such as machine learning, enterprise AI adoption, and policy frameworks. Yet, right off the bat, frustration was evident on X and other social media platforms. Dhananjay Yadav, founder of a wearables startup, who was exhibiting at the event, said the first day was a "pain", echoing several similar posts. Attendees reported erratic shuttle services, overcrowded venues, inadequate ventilation, and intermittent power cuts. This was made worse by Delhi's worsening air quality, which was at hazardous levels. Yadav flagged the shoddy management and crowd control. "At 12 noon, security personnel arrived to sanitise and cordon off the area ahead of the visit by PM Modi visit at 2pm. Gates were closed from 12â€"6pm. Much much longer than expected," he wrote on X. Worse, the wearables on display were stolen when the personnel were asked to step away from their booths. Another entrepreneur, Priyanshu Ratnakar, wrote on X that founders were locked out of their own booths on the first day due to PM Modi's visit and security measures. "The impact ai summit in delhi was a perfect demonstration of why india keeps losing in tech," he wrote. "Speaker lineup with consultants/bureaucrats who’ve never shipped a real product. The registration system crashed multiple times. people who registered weeks in advance couldn’t get in," Ratnakar added. Builders, who were hoping to catch sessions and speakers, but were stuck in long queues at the venue, were also miffed. "Digital India" banner everywhereâ€| Cash only counter at entry. ğŸ~­ No WiFi. No laptops. No demos working. 3-hour queue for builders," wrote one attendee. Another attendee said the event was "too crowded", and dismissed it as another "well marketed event". It was reported yesterday that even delegates were given unclear instructions before the summit, leaving many scrambling to reclaim possessions after the ‌exhibition building was â suddenly cleared â ahead of security sweeps for high-level arrivals. Some speakers due on Tuesday’s panels were still awaiting confirmation of sessions and agendas. Attendees said poor signage and limited seating added to confusion at the summit, where about 250,000 people are expected, and some sessions could not accommodate all those seeking entry. "Gates are closed so could not access my own booth at the AI Summit," Maitreya Wagh, co-founder of AI voice startup Bolna, wrote on X.

India AI Impact Summit 2026 Day 2 begins at Bharat Mandapam: PM Modi leads global push on responsible and inclusive AI

Day 2 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 has commenced in New Delhi with renewed momentum, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and global leaders intensify conversations on responsible AI, inclusive growth and cross-border governance frameworks. With high-level sessions, policy roundtables and sectoral dialogues underway, India continues to position itself at the center of the global AI transformation. The second day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 has formally begun at Bharat Mandapam, building on the scale and diplomatic energy witnessed during its opening day. As global policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and enterprise executives reconvene this morning, discussions are expected to move deeper into frameworks for ethical governance, real-world deployment and equitable access to artificial intelligence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a forward-looking tone, reiterating India's commitment to shaping AI that is human-centric, safe and development-oriented. Emphasizing that technology must enhance societal welfare and economic opportunity, his remarks framed the summit's second day around responsibility, trust and global cooperation. The message aligns with India's broader ambition to position itself not only as a technology powerhouse, but as a normative voice in the global AI order. Today's sessions are structured around applied AI across critical sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education, climate resilience and digital public infrastructure. High-level roundtables are focusing on policy harmonization, regulatory guardrails and procurement models that enable scalable adoption without compromising accountability. Knowledge exchanges between governments and enterprises are expected to outline actionable pathways for integrating AI into public service delivery. A strong emphasis continues on inclusion and democratization of AI resources. Dedicated forums are spotlighting women innovators, startup founders and researchers working at the intersection of AI and social impact. These conversations reinforce the summit's broader theme: ensuring access to compute infrastructure, datasets and skilling opportunities beyond traditional technology hubs. International engagement remains central to the summit's positioning. Among global leaders associated with the broader diplomatic engagements around the event is French President Emmanuel Macron, highlighting the geopolitical significance of AI governance cooperation. Bilateral and multilateral consultations are expected to further explore cross-border alignment on safety standards, innovation frameworks and ethical principles. Industry participation is equally prominent on Day 2. Technology executives and research heads are engaging in sessions on trusted AI systems, frontier research and the economics of scaling AI responsibly. The dialogue reflects a growing consensus that while innovation must accelerate, governance must evolve in parallel. With more than 500 sessions scheduled across five days, the summit continues to draw significant national and international attention. As Day 2 gets underway, the India AI Impact Summit 2026 is not merely continuing a conference, it is actively shaping the contours of how artificial intelligence will be governed, deployed and democratized in the years ahead. The global AI conversation is no longer theoretical. From New Delhi today, it is being operationalized. Follow https://ai.economictimes.com/ai-summit for comprehensive coverage.

India is democratising AI, technology: CPRG director Ramanand at AI Impact Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, underscoring India's commitment to responsible and inclusive Artificial Intelligence. Center of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) Director Dr Ramanand on Tuesday hailed the AI Impact Summit stating that the event sends a message that India is democratising both AI and technology. Speaking to ANI, he stated that the AI Summit being organised is likely the largest event to date, as the world has its eyes on India and holds high hopes and expectations. "The AI Summit is being held in India. The first summit was held in France, and after Europe, it is now taking place in India. India is being looked at with great hope and expectation. India is organising what is likely the largest AI summit so far. I do not think anyone has organised such a large summit on AI before. This event itself sends a message that India is democratising AI and technology. That is why it has invited people not only from India, but from all across the world," Dr Ramanand said. The India AI Impact Summit is a five-day programme anchored in three foundational pillars, or "Sutras": People, Planet, and Progress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, underscoring India's commitment to responsible and inclusive Artificial Intelligence. The Summit, the first global AI gathering to be hosted in the Global South, will witness unprecedented participation, with over 20 Heads of State, 60 Ministers, and 500 global AI leaders. Bringing together policymakers, technology companies, innovators, academia, and industry leaders, the Summit seeks to translate global AI deliberations into actionable development outcomes under the IndiaAI Mission and the Digital India initiative. The Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver the inaugural address on February 19, setting the tone for enhanced global cooperation and advancing India's vision for inclusive, trusted, and development-oriented artificial intelligence.

India AI Impact Summit 2026: IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reveals 5-layer roadmap to make India an AI superpower

Indigenous AI initiatives like BharatGen and Bhashini aim to power large-scale applications in healthcare, agriculture, and education. Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw has laid out the five-layered sovereign AI stack at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. This aims to position India as a global force in AI. The framework, he said, is designed to cover the entire value chain, from electricity that powers data centres to the applications that can directly help citizens' lives. Starting off, Vaishnaw said the base of this framework is energy. He pointed out that AI ambitions cannot be realised without dependable and scalable power. Currently, India has over 500 GW of installed capacity, with more than half coming from non-fossil fuel sources such as solar and wind. He also pointed to emerging options like small modular nuclear reactors as part of the long-term roadmap to ensure sustainable energy for compute-heavy AI workloads. The next layer, he said, is infrastructure. It includes the physical and digital backbone supporting AI systems. India's data centre capacity, currently under 1 GW, is projected to grow nearly tenfold by the end of the decade. This expansion will be supported by widespread 5G connectivity and strong private sector participation, creating what Vaishnaw described as the "homes and highways" of India's AI ecosystem. On the computing front, the government is establishing shared access to high-performance chips. As per Vaishnaw, the country already has 38,000 GPUs, with over 20,000 more on the way. Startups and researchers can use this capacity at subsidised rates, which are comparatively lower than current global costs. Beyond hardware, India is developing its own AI models. Initiatives like BharatGen and Bhashini are working to create systems that understand India's linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as to support hundreds of Indian language models. At the top sits the application layer, where AI translates into public impact. From early disease detection and precision farming to personalised education tools, Vaishnaw expressed optimism that India could lead globally in deploying AI on a large scale.

India AI Impact Summit 2026: From Day 1 disruption apology to AI Ka UPI, key statements made by IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Government pushes for tighter deepfake rules, age-based safeguards on platforms like X and Meta, while apologising for first-day summit mismanagement. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw talked about a few things including the AI roadmap at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. During his speech, he touched upon different sectors and areas including massive planned investments, the strength of India's sovereign AI models, and the urgent need to address rising concerns around deepfakes and child safety online. Here are the key highlights from his speech. 1. Speaking at the summit, Vaishnaw stated that the level of excitement among young innovators and investors was unmatched. He stated that infrastructure providers and investors are preparing commitments totalling nearly $200 billion, which are expected to take shape over the next few years. He added that venture capital firms are showing a strong interest in investing in Indian startups, particularly those developing AI-driven applications and deep-tech solutions. 2. The minister also focused on the effectiveness of India's homegrown AI systems. According to him, sovereign AI models developed in the country have been compared to leading global frontier models and have produced competitive results. He described it as a significant milestone for Indian engineers and researchers working on developing an independent AI stack. 3. Vaishnaw issued a cautionary note about the growing misuse of artificial intelligence. He stated that deepfakes are emerging as a serious threat and advocated for stronger regulatory measures to protect citizens, particularly children. The government, he confirmed, has begun discussions with industry stakeholders to investigate additional safeguards beyond the current legal framework. 4. In a forward-thinking announcement, the minister introduced the concept of AI ka UPI, a unified, trusted AI ecosystem that serves as a common and secure infrastructure layer. He compared the platform to India's digital payments revolution, saying it would enable companies and developers to create scalable AI solutions on a common national backbone. 5. Additionally, discussions are being held with major streaming and social media platforms to look at age-based access controls and other safeguards. Vaishnaw also stressed that the digital platforms like X, Meta and others in India must follow the country's constitutional and legal requirements 6. Vaishnaw also acknowledged the chaos and problems faced by the attendees on the first day of the summit and apologised for any inconvenience. While addressing the media, he described the event as the world's largest AI gathering, stating that the overwhelming response had resulted in initial challenges. He also mentioned that the government takes feedback seriously and will offer a more seamless experience for the participants. 7. He also stated that India is planning to substantially boost its AI computing muscle by adding another 20,000 GPUs, bringing the country's total capacity to more than 58,000 GPUs. The expansion is part of the government's IndiaAI Mission, which aims to strengthen domestic AI infrastructure. Currently, more than 38,000 high-end GPUs have been onboarded and are available at a subsidised rate of approximately Rs 65 per hour, which is nearly one-third of what similar capacity costs globally.