The summit, held at the Bharat Mandapam complex from February 16–20, is drawing leaders from around the world. Among the most prominent participants are Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI; Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google; Dario Amodei, co-founder of Anthropic; and Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind. Numerous heads of state are also attending, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who officially opened the event.
Participants are gathering to discuss not only the future of technology but also its social, ethical, and economic impact. During the opening, Modi outlined the summit’s guiding theme, which focuses on “prosperity for all and happiness for all,” reflecting India’s vision of inclusive AI-driven development.
The India AI Impact Summit is widely seen as a platform for major partnerships and investments. Attendees will showcase real-world AI applications in industry, healthcare, education, and public services, while also discussing regulatory frameworks and standards for responsible development. Significant investment commitments totaling $68 billion for AI and cloud infrastructure in India through 2030 are expected to be announced, highlighting the market’s strategic importance for global tech players.
The event is also massive in scale. Organizers expect more than 250,000 visitors from around the world, which has already driven up hotel prices and forced logistical adjustments across the city, including allowing some delegates to participate online due to anticipated transportation disruptions.
The summit in New Delhi also spotlights the unique challenges and opportunities facing developing economies. India — home to one of the world’s largest user bases for AI tools and a vast engineering workforce — is aiming to demonstrate that global technological leadership does not have to remain the domain of the West or China alone.