The India AI Impact Summit 2026 concluded in New Delhi with world leaders, major tech executives, and policymakers debating how artificial intelligence (AI) can be developed and shared more equitably — especially beyond the U.S.–China tech duopoly. The summit, the first of its kind hosted in the Global South, brought together delegations from dozens of countries and sectors, though some critics said its diplomatic achievements were more symbolic than substantive.
The summit’s most concrete diplomatic outcome was the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, endorsed by roughly 88 countries and international organisations. This non-binding agreement outlines broad principles for inclusive, ethical, and human-centric AI development, emphasising democratized access, ethical safeguards, and international cooperation. However, the declaration drew criticism from some experts for lacking operational details and not addressing the concentration of AI power and infrastructure in a few major economies and companies.
Despite the loose diplomatic commitments, the summit was a major success on the business and investment front. Indian officials announced expectations of more than $200 billion in AI and deep-tech investment pledges over the next two years, spanning infrastructure, data centres, and compute capacity. Domestic conglomerates like Reliance and the Adani Group accounted for much of this commitment, with their own multi-billion-dollar plans for AI facilities, while global firms including Microsoft and Google also made substantial investment announcements at the event.
The event underscored India’s ambition to transition from an AI consumer to an active participant in global AI development. Large investment commitments were seen as laying the foundation for future growth in AI infrastructure and local innovation, though some observers cautioned that the summit’s hype — and logistical challenges reported by attendees — might mask deeper questions about how truly independent or sovereign AI capabilities will emerge outside the dominant U.S.–China technology bloc.
