PANAJI
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is under way at Bharat Mandapam, bringing together more than 20 Heads of State and Government, 60 Ministers and Vice-Ministers, and over 500 global leaders from industry, academia and multilateral institutions. The five-day event, scheduled from February 16 to 20, is among the largest global gatherings on artificial intelligence hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to deliver the inaugural address on February 19. The summit seeks to deliberate on the role of artificial intelligence in advancing inclusive growth, strengthening public systems, and promoting sustainable development.
A key feature of the event is the culmination of three Global Impact Challenges — AI for ALL, AI by HER and YUVAi — which together drew over 4,600 applications from more than 60 countries. Seventy finalist teams have been selected following a multi-stage evaluation process and will present their solutions during the Grand Finale and Awards Ceremony.
On the second day, discussions centred on the AI for ALL challenge under the IndiaAI Mission, aimed at identifying scalable AI solutions across healthcare, agriculture, urban infrastructure, climate, and financial inclusion.
The summit also includes a research symposium, organised in partnership with IIT Hyderabad, which has received around 250 research submissions from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
