India hosts AI Impact Summit with leaders, tech CEOs
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- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the five‑day AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, aiming to declare a shared roadmap for global AI governance and collaboration.
- India expects 250,000 visitors, including 20 national leaders and 45 ministerial‑level delegations, for the biggest edition yet of the AI Impact Summit.
- Attendees reported long queues, overcrowding and organisational lapses such as unclear instructions, poor signage and limited seating on opening day.
- Maitreya Wagh, co‑founder of AI voice startup Bolna, posted on X that gates were closed, preventing access to his booth, and suggested a mini‑booth at a nearby cafe.
- Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are among the world leaders expected to attend the summit.
- Sundar Pichai, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft President Brad Smith and AMI Labs Executive Chairman Yann LeCun are also expected to attend.
- Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, said the goal is for AI to be used for shaping humanity, inclusive growth and a sustainable future.
Why it matters: India seeks to cement its role as a bridge for AI collaboration between the Global North and South, leveraging its digital‑public‑infrastructure expertise, while the reported crowding and access problems risk undermining the summit’s credibility and the country’s diplomatic push, and could deter future partnerships.
