India Kicks Off Largest AI Summit in the Global South with Altman, Pichai, and 20 World Leaders

The Global South's Biggest AI Gathering Yet

New Delhi, India — February 16, 2026 — India inaugurated the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today, marking the first global AI summit of this scale ever held in the Global South. The five-day event, running through February 20, is drawing over 250,000 visitors, 40+ global CEOs, and delegations from more than 100 countries.

Key Highlights

Sam Altman (OpenAI), Sundar Pichai (Google), Dario Amodei (Anthropic), and Demis Hassabis (DeepMind) are among the headline speakers. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Bill Gates were originally scheduled but withdrew before the event
20 heads of state and 45 ministerial-level delegations are participating, with French President Emmanuel Macron delivering a keynote on February 19
The summit spans 70,000 square meters of exhibition space with 300+ exhibitors from 30 countries and 500+ sessions
Over $200 billion in corporate investment commitments were announced, including $100 billion from the Adani Group for AI data centers, positioning India as a global AI hub

India's AI Ambitions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event's expo, declaring that "data centers will be a key job creator for the youth" and inviting the world's data infrastructure to reside in India. The government has announced a 21-year tax holiday for data center investments to attract major players.

India's position is formidable: the country generates nearly 20% of the world's data, has the second-largest AI workforce globally, and counts over 700 million internet users — all backed by one of the most mature digital public infrastructures in the world through the Aadhaar biometric system.

Three Pillars, Seven Working Groups

The summit is organized around three strategic "Sutras" (pillars) — People, Planet, and Progress — subdivided into seven "Chakras" (working groups) covering:

Economic Growth & Social Good — Leveraging AI for GDP expansion and societal benefit
Democratizing AI Resources — Making AI tools available to smaller economies
Inclusion for Social Empowerment — Ensuring AI benefits reach underserved communities
Safe & Trusted AI — Establishing responsible development guardrails
Human Capital — Building workforce readiness for the AI era
Science — Accelerating AI-driven discovery
Resilience, Innovation & Efficiency — Addressing sustainable and efficient AI infrastructure

Global Tech Companies Expand India Operations

The summit has already catalyzed corporate moves. Anthropic has appointed former Microsoft India MD Irina Ghose as its India head, OpenAI has established a dedicated sales division in the country, and Google is partnering with the Indian government and education platform Physics Wallah for AI skilling initiatives.

Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani showcased Jio's AI ecosystem to PM Modi, including Jio AI Stack, Jio Sanskriti AI for cultural preservation, Jio Arogya AI for healthcare, and Jio Shiksha for education.

Homegrown AI Models on Display

India is also unveiling its own AI models at the summit. The government's AI compendium includes case studies spanning healthcare, agriculture, education, energy, and gender empowerment — signaling that India intends to be not just a consumer of AI but a creator of frontier innovation.

What This Means for the MENA Region

The summit carries significance beyond India. As the Global South's first major AI governance event, its outcomes could set precedents for how developing economies — including those in the MENA region — approach AI regulation, compute sovereignty, and talent development. The emphasis on democratizing AI access and sustainable computing aligns closely with challenges facing Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and other nations building their own AI strategies.

What's Next

The summit continues through February 20, with PM Modi's address expected on February 19 alongside French President Macron's keynote. The event aims to produce a shared global roadmap for AI governance and collaboration.

Source: CNBC