Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed several world leaders at Bharat Mandapam as policymakers and technology leaders gathered in the national capital for the India AI Impact Summit 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed several world leaders at Bharat Mandapam as policymakers and technology leaders gathered in the national capital for the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
Among those received were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Estonian President Alar Karis.
PM Modi also greeted Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
Representatives of major global institutions were also present, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, along with Guyanese Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Bolivian Vice President Edmand Lara Montano.
The high-level welcomes underscored India’s efforts to position itself at the forefront of global cooperation on artificial intelligence, innovation and digital transformation.
Leaders attending the summit are expected to deliberate on AI-driven solutions, economic growth, sustainable development and technology partnerships.
India is hosting the AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16 to 20. The summit is structured around three core pillars — “People, Planet and Progress” — reflecting New Delhi’s focus on multilateral collaboration and leveraging AI to address global challenges and promote shared growth.
PM Modi will formally inaugurate the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on Thursday (February 19) at Bharat Mandapam.
He is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders on the sidelines of the event.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister will take part in the Opening Ceremony at approximately 9:40 am. The ceremony will feature addresses from French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Summit, the first global AI gathering to be hosted in the Global South, has witnessed unprecedented participation, with over 20 Heads of State, 60 Ministers, and 500 global AI leaders.
Bringing together policymakers, technology companies, innovators, academia, and industry leaders, the summit seeks to translate global AI deliberations into actionable development outcomes under the IndiaAI Mission and the Digital India initiative.
With inputs from agencies
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