NEW DELHI – India’s push to be seen as a top player in artificial intelligence ran into trouble this week at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The Modi government billed the event as a marquee moment and as the biggest AI gathering yet.
It also framed the summit as the first of its scale in the Global South. Over five days in New Delhi, organizers promised a clear message: India would champion inclusive AI and widen access for developing countries. Still, behind the investment headlines and photo ops, poor coordination, missed appearances, and deeper constraints made the gap between vision and execution hard to ignore.
The summit ran from February 16-20 at Bharat Mandapam. Organizers reported more than 250,000 registered participants, delegates from 118 countries, over 20 heads of state, and CEOs from major AI companies.
It followed other global forums, including the UK’s AI Safety Summit (2023), Seoul (2024), and Paris’s AI Action Summit (2025). This time, the emphasis shifted away from pure risk talk and toward adoption, innovation, and real-world use in emerging markets.
Big promises, then breakdowns on the ground
India tried to brand itself as the “AI use case capital of the world.” Leaders pointed to its large population, digital public infrastructure, and deep talent base. Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeated a simple pitch: “Design and develop in India. Deliver to the world. Deliver to humanity.” The goal was affordable AI that works for the Global South, not just wealthy countries.
The summit also came with headline announcements:
- Reliance and Adani pledged a combined $210 billion for AI and data center projects.
- OpenAI teamed up with the Tata Group, and Anthropic partnered with Infosys, with plans for new offices in India.
- Officials announced the “New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact,” backed by 88 countries, including the US, China, and Russia, with a shared pledge to support AI for growth and public benefit.
However, the on-site experience often fell apart. Many attendees dealt with traffic jams tied to security routes, long lines, packed halls, and visa problems. Tech Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw apologized publicly for the Day 1 disruptions. Even Mukesh Ambani faced delays due to security while preparing to reveal a major deal.
Optics took another hit when several big names didn’t show as expected:
- NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang left early.
- Bill Gates canceled his keynote just hours before. He said he wanted attention to stay on summit priorities amid separate controversies.
- A moment that spread online showed OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei declining to hold hands during a staged unity photo with Modi and other leaders.
Other awkward moments followed. Organizers removed a university booth after it presented a Chinese-made robotic dog as homegrown innovation.
Bigger problems than logistics in the global AI race
While the traffic and crowd issues grabbed attention, analysts pointed to a more lasting problem: India still lacks enough top-end compute, advanced chips, and large-scale data centers to compete in frontier AI. US and Chinese firms dominate that layer. Meanwhile, US tech giants expect to spend over $630 billion in 2026, which dwarfs India’s announced totals.
Critics also warned that India could slide into a “data colony” role. In that setup, the country supplies training data and skilled workers, while foreign companies own the most valuable models and platforms. At the same time, startup funding in India fell in 2025. Some founders also complained about slow government execution, including delays tied to a planned $1.1 billion AI venture fund.
Human rights groups raised another concern. Amnesty International and others said the summit avoided hard discussions about harmful AI use inside India. They pointed to surveillance tools that can deepen control, which clashed with the summit’s language about open access and democratized AI.
What the summit says about India’s AI road ahead
On the world stage, India tried to stand apart from the US-China rivalry and speak for the Global South. Yet global interest in binding AI rules looked weaker than before. With little progress on safety or regulation, the summit often felt closer to a large trade show than a major diplomatic turning point.
The event still proved that India can attract global attention, deal-making, and major partnerships. It also highlighted how much companies want access to India’s market and talent.
Even so, the summit exposed real limits. India needs more reliable power, more computing, and stronger planning to match its stated ambitions. It also needs to build more homegrown AI capability, not just host global brands.
In short, the India AI Impact Summit 2026 created momentum through deals and visibility. At the same time, it served as a clear reality check: in AI, ambition and spectacle don’t replace infrastructure and execution.
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