Visitors sitting in front of the banner of India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The third day of India AI Impact Summit 2026 has started with light rain in New Delhi. The event is being held across 10 zones spread over 70,000 square meters at the Bharat Mandapam, with delegates from myriad countries and luminaries from the AI world.
Key events at India AI Summit today
Today, the India AI Impact Summit is primarily dedicated to bridging the gap between academic research and industrial application. While the formal grand opening by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled for Thursday, there will be several high-impact technical and industry-focused sessions today.
1. Research Seminar (Center Stage)
Organized in partnership with IIIT Hyderabad, it is the premier academic platform of the summit.
• Frontier Research: Presenting cutting-edge AI research from across the Global South.
• Poster Showcase: Showcasing 250+ research presentations focused on AI-powered scientific discovery and security frameworks.
• Global South Showcase: Emphasis on equitable access to computing and research collaboration among developing countries.
2. Industry and Innovation Session
These sessions bring together global technology leaders and startups to discuss real-world deployments.
• Democratizing Compute: A keynote panel (1:30 pm – 2:30 pm) featuring executives from Nvidia, IBM, Qualcomm and HP India discussing regional infrastructure.
• AI by: Finalists of the Global Impact Challenge for women-led startups will showcase their solutions at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan.
• IndiaAI TinkerEntrepreneur: An announcement session for the winners of the National Student Bootcamp and Hackathon.
3. Major governance and policy releases
• Governance Guidelines: Formal release of India AI Governance Guidelines.
• Mineral Targeting Hackathon: Announcing the winners of IndiaAI Hackathon on Mineral Targeting.
4. AI Impact Expo
The huge 70,000 sq.m. The expo will be open to registered visitors.
• Thematic Pavilion: More than 300 exhibitors from 30 countries are showcasing “Sovereign AI” models and hardware.
• Interactive Demo: Features like AI-powered cricket coaching (in Google Pavilion) and AI applications in traditional crafts (weaving).
…read more
Key events at India AI Summit today
Today, the India AI Impact Summit is primarily dedicated to bridging the gap between academic research and industrial application. While the formal grand opening by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled for Thursday, there will be several high-impact technical and industry-focused sessions today.
1. Research Seminar (Center Stage)
Organized in partnership with IIIT Hyderabad, it is the premier academic platform of the summit.
• Frontier Research: Presenting cutting-edge AI research from across the Global South.
• Poster Showcase: Showcasing 250+ research presentations focused on AI-powered scientific discovery and security frameworks.
• Global South Showcase: Emphasis on equitable access to computing and research collaboration among developing countries.
2. Industry and Innovation Session
These sessions bring together global technology leaders and startups to discuss real-world deployments.
• Democratizing Compute: A keynote panel (1:30 pm – 2:30 pm) featuring executives from Nvidia, IBM, Qualcomm and HP India discussing regional infrastructure.
• AI by: Finalists of the Global Impact Challenge for women-led startups will showcase their solutions at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan.
• IndiaAI TinkerEntrepreneur: An announcement session for the winners of the National Student Bootcamp and Hackathon.
3. Major governance and policy releases
• Governance Guidelines: Formal release of India AI Governance Guidelines.
• Mineral Targeting Hackathon: Announcing the winners of IndiaAI Hackathon on Mineral Targeting.
4. AI Impact Expo
The huge 70,000 sq.m. The expo will be open to registered visitors.
• Thematic Pavilion: More than 300 exhibitors from 30 countries are showcasing “Sovereign AI” models and hardware.
• Interactive Demo: Features like AI-powered cricket coaching (in Google Pavilion) and AI applications in traditional crafts (weaving).
Follow all updates here:
February 18, 2026 9:37:25 am First
India AI Summit Live: ‘Robot dog’ controversy
Galgotias University has clarified that the “robodog” shown at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 was not developed in-house, and it had never made such a claim. This, despite a video showing a university professor saying that the robodog was home-made.
February 18, 2026 9:29:31 am First
India AI Summit Live: Traffic advisory for New Delhi
Due to the India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory which will be in effect from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm today.
Commuters are advised to plan their journey in advance, avoid affected stretches and follow instructions issued by traffic personnel on duty. Authorities have suggested the following alternative routes to ease congestion during specified hours. (read more)
February 18, 2026 9:25:10 am First
India AI Summit Live: Nvidia explains Jensen Huang’s absence
South Asia MD Vishal Dhupar said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang could not attend the India AI Summit because he has caught a bug after three weeks of continuous travel.
He said, “Don’t we all miss Jensen? Wherever I go, everyone is asking about Jensen.” “Jensen has traveled for three weeks straight, he’s caught a bug, he’s under the weather.”
“We hope he recovers soon, but we are glad to have Jai Puri leading a delegation to India and celebrating this important week where the India AI Summit will showcase the power of India.”
February 18, 2026 9:11:48 am First
India AI Summit Live: Sundar Pichai arrives in New Delhi
Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai has arrived in New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. He is set to attend a special session at Bharat Mandapam tomorrow.
“It was great to be back in India for the AI Impact Summit – as always, a very warm welcome and the papers were great,” he wrote on