Washington: India and France are positioning the upcoming AI Impact Summit in New Delhi as a pivotal moment in the governance of artificial intelligence, emphasizing inclusion, development, and tangible outcomes. The summit, set for February 2026, will build on prior global AI meetings while expanding its agenda to incorporate the priorities of the Global South.
During a panel discussion at a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) conference, Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay M Kwatra and French Ambassador Laurent Bili highlighted that this will be the first major international AI summit hosted in a Global South country. “This is of great consequence,” Kwatra stated, underscoring the summit’s objective to demonstrate how AI can serve societies beyond the confines of advanced economies.
Kwatra outlined that the summit will be structured around three core themes: people, planet, and progress, with a strong focus on democratizing access to AI technologies. “The idea is to ensure AI is available, accessible, and scalable for people at large,” he added.
Bili remarked on the ongoing cooperation initiated at the Paris AI Action Summit in 2025, which steered global discussions toward practical applications and investments. “We want to go further on implementation,” Bili noted, pointing to planned side events in Delhi centering on sustainable and public-interest AI.
The emphasis on “impact” at the summit represents a strategic shift from abstract regulatory discussions toward actionable deployment and measurable outcomes. “The impact part is essential,” Kwatra asserted. “Societies must move toward implementation.”
The AI Impact Summit promises to feature an extensive AI expo with hundreds of exhibitors, research symposiums, CEO roundtables, and a leaders’ declaration. Kwatra described it as a “full-stack AI summit” that will encompass research, industry, and governance.
Both ambassadors expressed hope that the summit will help prevent fragmented global AI regulations while respecting national approaches to governance. Bili pointed out that Paris has already helped catalyze significant AI investments within France and across Europe, including substantial commitments to computing infrastructure and research.
In a similar vein, Kwatra noted that India is witnessing a surge in AI investments, with major global technology companies rapidly developing AI infrastructure, compute capacity, and energy resources. He emphasized that India’s vast population and swift adoption of digital platforms position the country as a critical testing ground for large-scale AI deployment.
Scheduled for February 2026, the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi will follow previous summits held in the United Kingdom, South Korea, and France, further solidifying the role of emerging economies in shaping the future of AI governance.
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