Ground Report: Global Leaders Gather In New Delhi For India AI Summit, $100bn Investment Outlook

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 has begun at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, drawing global policymakers, technology leaders and investors to discuss the future of artificial intelligence. High-profile attendees include Sundar Pichai of Google, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Emmanuel Macron, Narendra Modi and Bill Gates. The summit is positioning India as a central hub in the global AI value chain, with participation from governments, corporates and start-ups across multiple sectors, with strong on-ground turnout and global interest.

According to Ashwini Vaishnaw, AI ecosystem investments could cross $100 billion, supported by commitments from major technology firms including Microsoft. The summit is expected to shape long-term policy, capital flows and technology partnerships, reinforcing India’s ambition to become a global AI development and deployment centre over the next two decades.