The Government of India is aiming to announce “at least fifteen” tangible outcomes at the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to be held from February 16 to 20 in New Delhi. A senior official from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said the summit has been designed to move beyond discussions and produce measurable deliverables.
The event, expected to be one of the largest global gatherings focused on artificial intelligence, will see participation from representatives of more than 100 countries. Heads of state or government from Brazil, France, Spain, Greece, Estonia, Finland, Croatia, Switzerland and Slovakia are among those expected to attend.
Focus on Deliverables
According to Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at MeitY, the summit has been structured with a clear emphasis on outcomes.
“When we started planning the summit, we got a clear direction from our honourable Prime Minister that this should not be only a ‘talking shop’ wherein experts come and give lectures on all the subjects and nothing happens,” Mr. Singh said in a video released by the Ministry this week.
He added that the government was focused on ensuring tangible deliverables. “The final deliverables will be announced at the summit, but there will be at least fifteen concrete ones,” he said.
Officials have not yet disclosed the full list of outcomes, but they indicated that the announcements will span multiple sectors linked to artificial intelligence development, governance and infrastructure.
Large-Scale Global Participation
The summit will be hosted at Bharat Mandapam, the exposition centre that hosted the G20 Summit. The government has made arrangements to accommodate more than 1.5 lakh visitors, and officials indicated that attendance could match or even exceed the turnout recorded during the 2023 G20 event.
Authorities have announced traffic restrictions in areas surrounding the venue due to the expected large crowds. Officials also stated that summit passes were oversubscribed, reflecting strong interest from international delegates, industry leaders and researchers.
Entry into Pax Silica Initiative
One confirmed outcome of the summit is India’s entry into the US-led Pax Silica initiative. The alliance aims to strengthen resilient and secure electronics supply chains among participating countries.
India’s participation in Pax Silica is expected to align with its broader strategy to enhance semiconductor manufacturing, electronics production and supply chain security. Officials view this move as complementary to domestic initiatives promoting electronics manufacturing and digital infrastructure.
AI Governance and Multistakeholder Approach
It remains unclear whether the summit will result in the creation of a new multilateral body focused on artificial intelligence governance and ethics.
In an interview with The Hindu, MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said that the formation of a formal international organisation similar to the International Solar Alliance is uncertain. “Whether there will be another international body like the International Solar Alliance, I don’t really know. We may not do it as a regular body,” he said.
This position aligns with India’s current multistakeholder approach to AI governance. Rather than establishing a centralised regulatory body, India has encouraged collaboration between academic institutions, research bodies and industry stakeholders.
India’s AI Safety Institute, for instance, has been launched as a virtual network of researchers from Indian Institutes of Technology and other universities. The model mirrors approaches adopted in several other countries, where AI Safety Institutes are either newly established or designated from existing research institutions.
Strategic Context
The summit comes at a time when governments worldwide are grappling with the economic, ethical and security implications of artificial intelligence. Issues such as AI safety standards, cross-border data governance, semiconductor supply chains and responsible innovation remain central to international discussions.
India has positioned itself as a key stakeholder in global AI conversations, emphasising both technological advancement and inclusive development. The scale of participation at the summit reflects growing global interest in collaborative approaches to AI governance and infrastructure.
Whether the announced outcomes will lead to long-term institutional frameworks or remain project-based initiatives will likely become clearer after the summit concludes.
For now, the government’s stated objective is to ensure that the event produces measurable, implementable results rather than remaining limited to policy dialogue.
