20 heads of states, 45 global delegations to attend India–AI Impact Summit 2026

Bringing together political powerhouses, multilateral institutions and AI trailblazers, the summit seeks to redefine global technology governance through a Global South-led lens.

The Ministry of External Affairs has unveiled the list of world leaders set to participate in the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to take place in New Delhi next week. The high-level gathering, hosted at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is being positioned as the first major global artificial intelligence summit led by a country from the Global South.

The summit will be held from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam and is expected to bring together heads of state, ministers, global industry leaders and representatives of international organisations. Discussions will focus on the evolving AI landscape, its economic implications and the development of governance frameworks to ensure responsible deployment.

Heads of states confirm participation

According to the MEA, leaders from 20 countries will attend. Among them are Emmanuel Macron of France, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Pedro Sanchez of Spain and Anura Kumara Disanayaka of Sri Lanka. Prime ministers from Bhutan, Finland, Greece, Kazakhstan and Mauritius are also expected, along with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi representing the United Arab Emirates.

In addition to the heads of state, more than 45 ministerial delegations will participate. The United Nations Secretary-General and senior officials from various multilateral institutions are also slated to join the deliberations.

Focus on governance, innovation and inclusion

The summit comes amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence technologies, particularly large language models, even as policymakers worldwide call for stronger safeguards and diversified AI architectures. The event will be structured around three overarching themes — People, Planet and Progress — supported by seven working groups addressing skilling, safety, sustainability and equitable access.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described the international response as “phenomenal,” noting that nearly 100 countries are expected to be represented. More than 100 global CEOs are likely to attend, including Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, Dario Amodei and Demis Hassabis.

The programme includes the release of an AI Compendium documenting sectoral case studies, competitive initiatives such as AI for ALL and AI by HER, and a large-scale exhibition featuring more than 300 exhibitors from 30 countries. The summit will conclude with the GPAI Council meeting on February 20.