AI Summit 2026: PM Modi Inaugurates ‘Impact’ Phase, Calls for AI for All

New Delhi, February 19, 2026: On the fourth day of the landmark India AI Impact Summit 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the high-level plenary session at Bharat Mandapam today. Addressing a global audience of heads of state, tech titans, and researchers, the Prime Minister emphasized India’s commitment to “democratizing technology” to ensure that the benefits of Artificial Intelligence reach the world’s “last mile.”

The summit, which began on February 16, reached its peak today as the focus shifted from technical research to real-world socio-economic impact.

Key Highlights of the Inauguration

• A Vision of Inclusion: PM Modi outlined the theme of the summit, “Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay” (Welfare for all, Happiness for all). He stated that AI should not just be a tool for corporate profit but a catalyst for social transformation in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education.
• Global Leadership: Joining the Prime Minister were French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Both leaders praised India’s role as a bridge between the “Global North” and the “Global South” in establishing ethical AI governance.
• The AI Stack: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the Prime Minister’s vision of a “5-layer AI stack” for India, focusing on building sovereign compute capacity and indigenous foundation models that represent India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

Big Tech Pledges and Global Collaboration

The day was marked by significant announcements from global tech leaders.

• Google & Anthropic: Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a $15 billion infrastructure investment, including a new “full-stack AI hub” in Visakhapatnam. Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei confirmed the opening of a new office in Bengaluru, emphasizing India’s central role in AI safety and testing.
• OpenAI & Industry Giants: OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani are scheduled for keynote sessions later today to discuss investment in regional-language AI models.

What’s Next?

Following the morning ceremony, the Prime Minister participated in a Leaders’ Plenary and is set to host a CEO Roundtable this evening. These closed-door discussions will focus on building secure global supply chains for semiconductors and AI hardware.

To accommodate the overwhelming public interest, the government has extended the AI Impact Expo until Saturday, February 21. While VVIP movements restricted public access to certain areas today, the expo remains a massive draw, featuring over 300 exhibitors demonstrating AI’s power in everything from climate resilience to rural fintech.

As Day 4 draws to a close, the 2026 Summit has firmly positioned India as a pivotal player in the global race to define the “rules of the road” for the AI era.