Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to kick off a high-profile day on Thursday, February 19, welcoming world leaders at the Bharat Mandapam for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. 

The event will commence with a family photo session in the morning, setting the stage for discussions on artificial intelligence's role in global progress.

The Prime Minister will join the “Opening Ceremony,” where he will be accompanied by distinguished guests, including the President of France and the United Nations Secretary-General, alongside top industry leaders from around the world.

PM Modi is scheduled to deliver his address during the morning hours, highlighting India's vision for AI-driven development. Following the ceremony, the leaders will tour the India AI Impact Expo 2026, exploring various country pavilions showcasing innovative AI applications.

The afternoon features the Leaders' Plenary from noon onward, gathering heads of state, ministers, and representatives from multilateral institutions to deliberate on national and global AI priorities, including governance, infrastructure, and international collaboration.

Later in the evening, PM Modi will engage in a CEO roundtable, convening senior executives from global technology firms with government officials to explore investments, research partnerships, supply chains, and AI deployment strategies.

The summit's theme, “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya” —welfare for all, happiness for all—underscores India's ambition to lead in AI while promoting inclusive growth and planetary sustainability. It envisions AI as a force for humanity's advancement, with seven Working Groups structured around three pillars: People, Planet, and Progress.

These groups focus on themes like AI for economic growth and social good, democratising AI resources, inclusion for social empowerment, safe and trusted AI, human capital, science, and resilience, innovation and efficiency, aiming to deliver tangible outcomes across sectors.

The gathering will attract over 500 global AI leaders, including 100 CEOs and founders, 150 academicians and researchers, and 400 CTOs, VPs, and philanthropists. Government participation includes more than 20 heads of state and government, along with around 60 ministers and vice ministers, fostering unprecedented dialogue on AI's transformative potential.