Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Opening Ceremony of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on Thursday morning and will address the ceremony where 20 heads of the state are expected to be present.
Modi will welcome the leaders at the summit being held at Bharat Mandapam and a family photo will be taken at around 9:15am, following which he will participate in the Opening Ceremony of India AI Impact Summit 2026 at around 9:40 am. Modi is scheduled to address the ceremony at at around 10:25am.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is being held in Delhi from February 16 to February 20, the first global AI Summit being hosted in the Global South. the summit has attracted government policymakers, industry AI experts, academicians, technology innovators, and civil society representatives from across the world to advance global discussions on artificial intelligence.
The event aims to reflect on the transformative potential of AI, aligning with India’s national vision of “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” (welfare for all, happiness for all) and the broader global principle of AI for Humanity.
Earlier on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron, who is in India for the AI Summit, shared an A-generated photograph with PM Modi on his official X handle with the caption, “When friends connect, innovation follows. Ready for The AI Impact Summit!” The text on the image read, “Yes, it is AI.”
Modi also met his French counterpart Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday and the two leaders emphasised the need for cooperation to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for inclusive development.
Eleven European countries, including France, the Netherlands, Spain, Estonia and Switzerland, are being represented by heads of state or government at the AI Impact Summit. A total of 26 European countries are participating in the summit, including 12 at the ministerial level. People familiar with the matter highlighted the importance of this participation in view of Europe’s role as a hub of digital governance and responsible AI frameworks, and the European Union (EU)’s contributions to global norms for AI.
