NEW DELHI Feb 20 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed world leaders and top officials to Bharat Mandapam as the India AI Impact Summit 2026 got underway in the capital.
Among those received were Spain’s President Pedro Sánchez, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Estonian President Alar Karis.
Others included Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Bhutan’s Tshering Tobgay, Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay, Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Croatia’s Andrej Plenkovic.
Global institutions were also represented, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in attendance, alongside Guyana Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Bolivia Vice President Edmand Lara Montano.
The high-level engagements underscore India’s push to position itself as a key player in global artificial intelligence governance, innovation and digital transformation.
Leaders at the summit are expected to deliberate on AI-driven solutions, economic growth, sustainable development and technology partnerships, with a focus on translating discussions into practical outcomes.
The summit, running from February 16 to 20, is anchored on three pillars — People, Planet and Progress — and is the first major global AI gathering hosted in the Global South.
It has drawn over 20 Heads of State, 60 ministers and more than 500 global AI leaders, bringing together policymakers, tech firms, academia and industry players under India’s broader Digital India and IndiaAI missions.
Modi is set to deliver the inaugural address on February 19, outlining India’s vision for inclusive, trusted and development-focused artificial intelligence.