India AI Impact Summit 2026: Over 600 startups to 2.5 lakh visitors — Mega AI event beats government expectations

India is hosting the biggest artificial intelligence (AI) summit of South Asia in New Delhi, starting from Monday, 16 February 2026, which will feature more than 600 high-potential startups and is expected to attract a high footfall, beating government expectations, reported the news agency ANI, citing Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology S Krishnan.

According to the agency report citing the official, the inaugural day of the AI Impact Summit 2026 has witnessed 2.5 lakh registrations from India and across the world, and the government has made all the arrangements it can for the mega AI event.

“The enthusiasm to participate in the event has truly grown. We have more than 2.5 lakh registrations from across India and the rest of the world. We’ve tried to make all the arrangements that we can. We never anticipated that there would be so many people willing and wanting to attend, which is why we did not restrict the registrations. So on all the days except the 19th, all of them are welcome to attend the various sessions that are going on,” S Krishnan told the news agency.

Size of the India AI Impact Summit 2026

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, which the country is hosting between 16-20 February 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, is set to serve as a national demonstration of AI.

According to the agency report, the expo is spread across 10 arenas covering more than 70,000 square metres, giving an opportunity for global technology firms, startups, academia and research institutions, Union Ministries, State Governments, and international partners to meet each other at the mega event.

The summit will also feature 13 country pavilions, like from Australia, Japan, Russia, UK, France, Germany, among others, showcasing international collaboration in the AI ecosystem.

The agency report also highlighted that the AI summit will host over 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations under three main themes — People, Planet, and Progress.

The event will have more than 500 sessions featuring over 3,250 speakers and panel members who will focus on the transformative impact of AI across sectors and discuss future actions in efforts to ensure that AI benefits everyone around the world.

What did Meity Secretary S Krishnan say?

Meity Secretary S Krishnan told the news agency that, except for the proceedings scheduled on 19 February 2026, all registered participants are welcome to attend various sessions of the AI summit.

The secretary also highlighted the need for people attending the event to follow strict safety guidelines to ensure a smooth conduct of the event. He also said that there are enough and adequate arrangements for food, water and all other requirements, along with health-related needs for people attending the summit.

“We want all of them to just follow the relevant safety instructions to make sure that the event is enjoyable for everybody. There are enough and adequate arrangements for food, water and all other requirements outside in the food courts. There are health-related arrangements and all, no effort has been spared to make sure that everyone has a comfortable experience,” the Meity Secretary told the news agency.