New Delhi: The just-concluded ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’ closes not with finality but with forward motion. In the quiet hum of conversations that linger, one message is clear — the world has found in India not just a market, but a partner in shaping the future of artificial intelligence, according to an official statement.
At the week-long summit, the ‘India AI Impact Expo’ unfolded, spreading across ten arenas and more than 70,000 square metres. Global delegates, technology leaders, researchers and students moved through expansive halls designed for dialogue and demonstration.
At the centre of it all lied a theme rooted in civilisational confidence: ’Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya’ Welfare for all, Happiness of all. In his inaugural address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this is India’s benchmark for artificial intelligence. He speaks of diversity, demography and democracy as India’s enduring strengths.
“Any AI model that succeeds in India, he notes, can be deployed globally. Then comes the invitation. Design and develop in India. Deliver to the world. Deliver to humanity. The words travel far beyond the hall,” the statement said. The 13-country pavilions gave those words texture.
At the French Pavilion, visited by President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Modi, 29 companies displayed France’s technological edge. President Macron was candid in his praise. India, he said, has built what no other country has built. A digital identity for 1.4 billion people. A payment system processing 20 billion transactions every month. A health infrastructure that has issued 500 million digital health IDs. This, he reminded the audience, is the India Stack. Open, interoperable and sovereign. We are at the beginning of a huge acceleration, he added.
Across the 10 arenas, global technology firms, startups, academia, Union Ministries, State Governments and research institutions created a mosaic of capability. “The scale is unmistakable. Yet the tone remains collaborative rather than competitive. The presence of multilateral institutions and political leaders underscores the Summit’s stature. This is not a trade fair alone. It is a defining platform shaping how AI will be governed and deployed in an interconnected world,” said the statement.
What emerged is a portrait of India as both host and heavyweight. A country confident in its digital public infrastructure. A nation willing to share its stack and learn from others. A platform where sovereign ambition coexists with global accountability.
