India is positioning itself as a global bridge for inclusive artificial intelligence, with a strong focus on the Global South, as it prepares to host the India AI Impact Summit 2026. This was highlighted by the IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Secretary MeitY, S. Krishnan, said the Summit seeks to address global concerns around AI concentration by ensuring equitable access to AI infrastructure such as compute, models, and datasets. He noted that broader access would enable countries to build AI systems tailored to their societal and economic needs.

The Summit’s framework is anchored in three Sutras People, Planet, and Progress and seven thematic Chakras, including Inclusion for Social Empowerment, Safe and Trusted AI, Science, and Resilience, Innovation and Efficiency. These themes have been shaped through months of consultations involving over 500 organisations and citizen feedback from the MyGov platform.

More than 300 pre-summit events have been organised globally, with 57 already held across 25+ countries. Flagship initiatives such as YUVAi, AI by HER, and AI for All have attracted over 15,000 registrations from 135 countries, underlining strong Global South participation.

Officials said the Summit aims to translate global AI discussions into measurable, real-world impact.