“Hunuz Dilli dur ast” (Delhi is still far away) is a Persian saying by 14th century Sufi Saint Nizamuddin Auliya, signifying that victory is still far ahead.
For the past five days, the imperial city of New Delhi, turned into a digital nerve center, as world leaders, CEOs of tech giants and AI companies, scientists, academicians and curious minds flocked to the AI Impact Summit 2026, which claimed to be the largest gathering for Artificial Intelligence.
With China conspicuously absent from the summit and the US flexing its muscle power over oil, semi-conductors and critical minerals, this was an opportunity for “middle powers” like India, Europe and Canada to set their priorities straight in the race for AI dominance.
And for AI/Tech giants, the summit offered a platform like never before- a free ticket entry to the massive 1.4 Billion Indian market.
If the Bletchley Summit (2023), Seoul Summit (2024) and Paris Summit (2025) were about AI safety, the key word for New Delhi 2026 was “Impact”.
This was an opportunity for the world to talk about AI potential, AI safeguards, equitable distribution of resources, democratization of AI access and build a global safety net before AI impact hit jobs.
The AI Impact Summit in Delhi has brought together the who’s who from the AI world.
There is representation from over 100 countries.
There are distinguished participants from every corner of the globe.
Our aim is the same – leveraging the power of AI for the welfare of our… pic.twitter.com/BHkvMOJsVN
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 19, 2026
The summit, undoubtedly, held its water offering rich discussion between key industry figures, policy experts, ministers and world leaders along with major investment deals between Indian conglomerates and AI giants.
However, when it came to global consensus, major reforms for AI job impact or any binding commitment for AI equity, the summit proved to be disappointing.
On a policy level, the summit was anticipated to provide concrete steps yet it more or less resulted in more talks, less action. Even the New Delhi Frontier Commitments unveiled by Indian IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had vague language with major goals as advancing understanding of real world AI usage and strengthening multilingual and contextual evaluation of AI systems.
While French president Emmanuel Macron emphasized on AI safety and regulations, the US White House official Michael Kratsios added that the US will “totally reject global governance of AI.”
Even though the summit spoke about democratization of AI resources, closing gender gap and AI equity, we only saw major conglomerates like Reliance, Adani and Tech giants like Google, OpenAI and Meta closing investment deals.
Yet for AI naysayers, the doomsday didn’t arrive in the form of AI Impact Summit 2026, rather it gave us a glimpse of the future and what to expect next—exponential AI adoption, more global squabble for AI, consolidation of AI resources and a race against time before the AI storm breaks.
In these five days, the capital city became a hub for discussions. In this summit, experts from around the world explored how artificial intelligence can boost economic growth, improve governance, and strengthen health. Sessions cover resilient agriculture, road safety, scientific innovation, empowering youth through skills and job opportunities and drawbacks of AI in defense. This summit focused on representation, role of women, leadership, and empowerment. Policymakers discuss ethical AI, governance frameworks, and protection measures to ensure inclusive progress.
Day 1: AI Impact Summit New Delhi
From February 16 to 20, New Delhi transformed into the beating heart of the global artificial intelligence conversation. For the first time, a country from the Global South hosted a summit of this scale, bringing together over 3,250 speakers, more than 500 sessions, and delegates from 100 countries.
The summit was kicked off with an inaugural address by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who framed AI as a transformative opportunity for India’s journey to becoming a developed nation by 2047.
The day also witnessed a significant announcement. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) revealed a joint initiative to co-develop a rack-scale AI infrastructure based on AMD’s Helios platform. This collaboration signaled India’s ambition to establish its own sovereign AI infrastructure. Analysts described this as a critical step toward technological self-reliance, potentially reducing dependence on foreign AI hardware and data centers in the years to come.
Crowds, Confusion, and Operational Hiccups
While the opening day was full of promise, it also underscored the logistical challenges of hosting a global-scale summit. Massive crowds led to bottlenecks at multiple entry points, causing long delays and confusion. Many exhibitors reported overlapping security checks and unclear protocols. These arrangements made it difficult for participants to access their stalls or meet visitors on time. Some were asked to temporarily vacate their spaces during security sweeps, and without clear communication on when they could return. Several startups faced disruptions in demonstrating their technologies.
Organizers acknowledged these problems and quickly implemented corrective measures.
Also Read: AI Impact Summit 2026: ‘Apologize for any Inconvenience,’ says IT Minister on Day 1 Chaos
Day 2: AI for Health and Language Inclusion
The second day focused on the human dimension of AI. Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched two initiatives: SAHI (Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India) and BODH (Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI). These programs are designed to integrate AI responsibly into the healthcare system, emphasizing ethical deployment and inclusion across India’s diverse demographics.
Language accessibility also became a focal point. Bengaluru-based startup Sarvam AI unveiled voice-based AI models capable of interacting in 22 Indian languages. By enabling AI to understand and respond in regional languages, India could expand participation in the digital economy and open doors to services that have previously been out of reach for large portions of the population.
Day 3: Global Titans and the “Robodog” Controversy
Day three saw the arrival of some of the biggest names in global tech. Brad Smith of Microsoft discussed plans to invest $50 Billion by 2030. He stressed the need to address the “AI divide” between the Global North and South. He warned that unequal access to AI could perpetuate economic disparities for generations. Sam Altman emphasized the need for global regulatory frameworks to prevent misuse and centralization of AI power. Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Deepmind said that world may be just five to eight years away from artificial general intelligence. He called this a critical moment. Hassabis described AI as the most transformative technology in human history.
However, the day was not without controversy. Galgotias University faced scrutiny after a video surfaced showing a faculty member claiming that a robotic dog named “Orion” was their own innovation. Online investigations quickly revealed the device was a commercially available product from the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. The incident, widely referred to as the “robodog row,” served as a cautionary tale on the importance of transparency and credibility in innovation.
Logistical issues persisted as well. VVIP movements, including the Prime Minister’s, caused extensive traffic restrictions. Thousands of delegates found themselves stranded and forced to walk kilometers along city roads in the dark.
Also Read: This AI Summit, Let’s Address the Elephant in the Room, Not the Robo-Dog
Day 4: Pillars of Technological Sovereignty
By day four, attention shifted to India’s long-term strategy. Jeet Adani outlined three pillars for India’s AI future: energy sovereignty, compute and cloud sovereignty, and services sovereignty. Union Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw announced the New Delhi Frontier AI Commitments at the India AI Impact Summit describing it as a significant move toward building inclusive and responsible artificial intelligence for the world- particularly the Global South. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed concerns about digital misinformation.
Day 5: Pax Silica and Political Drama
The 5th day brought major diplomatic developments. India officially joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative, which focuses on semiconductors, AI, and critical mineral supply chains. US Under Secretary Jacob Helberg and Ambassador Sergio Gor described the partnership as a strategic choice to replace “coercive dependencies” with trusted collaborations, a subtle reference to reducing reliance on Chinese tech ecosystems. Minister Vaishnaw called the agreement “forward-looking,” highlighting India’s engineering talent and the potential for secure, shared growth.
This day also witnessed an extraordinary political protest. Youth Congress members, including national and state secretaries, gained access to the summit using valid QR codes. In Hall No. 5, they stripped down to T-shirts featuring Prime Minister Modi and former US President Donald Trump, shouting slogans against the government’s
Conclusion: Did AI conquer Delhi?
While AI may be “artificial,” its impact on India’s economy and internal discourse is very real.
The Indian government has claimed that the AI Impact Summit has attracted investments above $250 Billion, phased out in the next two years.
Yet it remains to be seen whether the claims made at the summit will hold water in the long run. What emerges from this moment will not only shape India’s technological trajectory but could redefine the role of the Global South in the 21st-century AI landscape.
