Quick Take :
- Event: India AI Impact Summit 2026 | Feb 16–20 | Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
- Funding: Up to ₹2 Crore incubation funding via IHFC for deeptech AI startups
- Pitch Fest: UDAAN global AI pitch fest — investor-startup engagement curated by IVCA
- Scale: 300+ exhibitors, 30+ countries, 3,250+ speakers, 500+ sessions over 5 days
- Why It Matters: First-ever Global South AI summit — government validation + international visibility
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 — the first global AI summit hosted by a Global South nation — kicks off today at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, running February 16–20. For India’s 6,200+ AI startups, this five-day event positions itself as the single most concentrated opportunity of the year: a direct pipeline to funding up to ₹2 Crore from IHFC, face-time with 40+ global CEOs including Sam Altman and Sundar Pichai, and exposure to delegations from over 100 countries actively scouting for AI solutions.
This positions the summit as a strategic inflection point, not just another conference. With 89% of new Indian startups in 2024 incorporating AI into their products — per NASSCOM data — and the IndiaAI Mission backed by a ₹10,371 Crore allocation, the convergence of capital, policy, and talent at Bharat Mandapam creates a rare window where government backing meets private capital at scale.
StartupFeed Insight
What the numbers say: India now has 100 Mn weekly ChatGPT users (second only to the US), yet AI startup funding peaked at $5.2 Bn in 2022 and hasn’t recovered. This summit arrives precisely when the adoption curve has outpaced the capital curve — creating both urgency and opportunity.
What this means for you:
- If you’re a founder: UDAAN is curated by IVCA with MeitY backing — a pre-vetted audience of serious investors, not tyre-kickers
- If you’re an investor: 500+ AI startups showcasing under one roof offers the densest deal-sourcing event of 2026
- If you’re an employee: AI talent demand is set to double by 2027 (6.5 Lakh to 12.5 Lakh) — this summit maps where the jobs will be
Our prediction: At least 10–15 startups showcasing at UDAAN will close seed or pre-Series A rounds within 90 days of the summit. The “first Global South AI summit” credential will become a fundraising signal for the next 12 months.
The Funding Pipeline: ₹2 Crore and Beyond
The summit’s headline funding opportunity centres on the “AI for All: Global Impact Challenge,” implemented in partnership with Startup India under DPIIT and Digital India BHASHINI. Winning solutions are showcased at the summit, and promising deeptech startups become eligible for incubation and funding of up to ₹2 Crore from the I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC) at IIT Delhi.
IHFC has already nurtured over 200 startups over the past five years, helping them collectively secure ₹447 Crore through government grants and private investments. The funding pipeline here is proven, not theoretical.
Beyond IHFC, the broader IndiaAI Mission has deployed 38,000 GPUs, selected four startups (Sarvam AI, Soket AI, Gnani AI, Gan AI) for its Foundation Models programme, and launched a global expansion programme placing 10 Indian AI startups in the European market through partnerships with Station F and HEC Paris.
UDAAN: The Investor Magnet
UDAAN — the Global AI Pitch Fest — is the startup-specific centrepiece of the summit. Curated by the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA) with support from IndiaAI, MeitY, MeitY Startup Hub, and DPIIT, it runs on February 17 at Bharat Mandapam.
This is not a generic demo day. IVCA describes it as a “senior, high-credibility forum” spotlighting AI-native startups that are beyond ideation and positioned for commercial scale. The format brings together government leadership, investors, and selected startups for structured engagement.
| Aspect | Details |
| Format | Focused investor–startup engagement platform |
| Organizer | IVCA, with MeitY, IndiaAI, DPIIT support |
| Date & Venue | February 17, 2026 | 1:30 PM–3:30 PM | Bharat Mandapam |
| Focus | AI-native startups beyond ideation, positioned for commercial scale |
| Special Emphasis | Tier 2 & 3 hub ventures, women founders, differently-abled changemakers |
| Audience | Government leadership, VCs, PE firms, policymakers, ecosystem enablers |
The Network Effect: Who’s in the Room
The summit’s confirmed attendee roster reads like a who’s-who of global AI and political leadership. For startups, the value isn’t just the keynotes — it’s the corridor meetings, the expo floor conversations, and the policy dialogues that shape procurement opportunities.
| Category | Scale | Key Names |
| Global CEOs | 40+ CXOs | Sam Altman (OpenAI), Sundar Pichai (Google), Dario Amodei (Anthropic), Brad Smith (Microsoft) |
| Heads of Government | 15–20 | PM Modi (Host), Emmanuel Macron, Lula da Silva, UAE Crown Prince |
| Ministers | 50+ International | Ashwini Vaishnaw (MeitY), global counterparts |
| Indian Business Leaders | Multiple | Mukesh Ambani, Nandan Nilekani, Jeet Adani |
| Exhibitors | 300+ from 30+ countries | Across 10+ thematic pavilions, 70,000 sq. metres |
| Sessions & Speakers | 500+ sessions | 3,250+ speakers and panellists |
The Seven Chakras: Aligning with National Priorities
The summit’s deliberations are organized around three “Sutras” (People, Planet, Progress) and seven thematic “Chakras” — essentially working groups that map directly to India’s AI policy priorities. For startups, understanding these Chakras is critical: they signal where government procurement budgets, grant funding, and policy support will flow over the next 3–5 years.
| Chakra (Working Group) | Startup Opportunity |
| Human Capital | AI skilling, reskilling platforms, workforce transition tools |
| Inclusion for Social Empowerment | Multilingual AI, Indic language models, accessibility solutions |
| Safe & Trusted AI | AI governance, transparency tools, audit and compliance platforms |
| Resilience, Innovation & Efficiency | Frugal AI, energy-efficient models for resource-constrained settings |
| Science | Research tools, AI for scientific discovery, Global South collaboration |
| Democratizing AI Resources | Open-source infrastructure, affordable compute access, model marketplaces |
| AI for Economic Growth & Social Good | Healthcare, agriculture, governance, education solutions with measurable impact |
The Market Context: Why This Summit, Why Now
| Metric | Data Point |
| AI Startups in India | 6,200+ (as of April 2024, per Tracxn) |
| New Startups Using AI (2024) | 89% incorporated AI in products (NASSCOM) |
| ChatGPT Weekly Users in India | 100 Mn — 2nd largest market globally (Sam Altman) |
| IndiaAI Mission Allocation | ₹10,371 Cr over 5 years |
| GPU Infrastructure | 38,000 GPUs deployed (up from 10,000 target) |
| AI Talent Pipeline | 6.5 Lakh today → 12.5 Lakh by 2027 (15% CAGR) |
| India AI Market (Projected) | $17 Bn by 2027 (NASSCOM-BCG, 25–35% CAGR) |
| Summit Global Challenges | 15,000+ registrations from 135 countries, ~4,700 submissions |
What Global Leaders Are Saying
“India has all the ingredients: homegrown tech talent, a national strategy, and an infectious optimism about what AI can do for the country.”
— Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI
Altman’s word choice is telling. “Full-stack AI leader” signals that global tech companies see India not just as a consumer market but as a builder of foundational AI. For startups, this translates to a validation signal: if OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are placing India-specific bets, investor capital will follow.
“Starting today, India hosts the AI Impact Summit… Thanks to the 1.4 billion people of India, our nation stands at the forefront of the AI transformation.”
— PM Narendra Modi, via social media, February 16, 2026
The Startup Checklist: What to Prepare Before You Go
If you’re an AI founder heading to Bharat Mandapam this week, here’s your preparation checklist:
| # | Action Item | Why It Matters |
| 1 | Map your Chakra alignment | Identify which of the 7 thematic areas your product fits — this determines which policy sessions to attend and which officials to target |
| 2 | Prepare a 90-second pitch | UDAAN slots are focused and time-bound. Practise a crisp problem-solution-traction narrative |
| 3 | Bring traction data, not just decks | This is an investor-grade forum. Have MRR, user metrics, and pilot results ready |
| 4 | Research attending delegations | 100+ country delegations are scouting. Identify which countries have AI procurement mandates aligned with your product |
| 5 | Target the Expo floor strategically | 300+ exhibitors across 10 pavilions — pre-identify 15–20 potential partners, customers, or co-innovators |
| 6 | Attend policy sessions | Understanding AI procurement priorities and regulatory direction gives you a 6–12 month head start on competitors |
| 7 | Follow up within 48 hours | The density of the summit means contacts decay fast. Send personalised follow-ups while context is fresh |
Who Should Be Watching?
| Player | Why This Summit Matters |
| Early-Stage AI Founders | IHFC’s ₹2 Cr funding + IVCA-curated investor introductions offer a fast-track to capital that typically takes 6+ months to source |
| Tier 2 & 3 Startups | UDAAN’s explicit focus on non-metro ventures levels the playing field — Delhi’s network effects become accessible |
| Women AI Founders | AI by HER challenge and IHFC’s dedicated women-in-AI funding track (₹2 Cr) create gender-specific pathways to capital |
| Global AI Startups | India’s 100 Mn weekly AI users represent the world’s fastest-growing adoption market — this summit is the entry point |
| VCs & PE Firms | 500+ AI startups exhibiting under government curation reduces due diligence overhead and signals quality |
What’s Next
The India AI Impact Summit marks the beginning of a cycle, not an endpoint. The partnerships announced here, the funding pipelines initiated through UDAAN and IHFC, and the policy frameworks debated across the Seven Chakras will shape India’s AI procurement and investment landscape through 2027.
For startups, the real question isn’t whether to attend — it’s what you do with the access. The founders who treat this as a strategic operation (mapped targets, prepared pitches, rapid follow-ups) will extract disproportionate value from five days that could otherwise blur into a series of keynote spectacles.
India’s AI market is projected to hit $17 Bn by 2027. The summit at Bharat Mandapam is where the next chapter of that story gets written. The only question is whether your startup will be in it.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 runs February 16–20, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. It is organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the IndiaAI Mission. The five-day programme covers policy, research, industry exhibitions, and public engagement across 70,000 square metres. The Summit was announced by PM Modi at the France AI Action Summit in 2025 and follows previous global AI summits in the UK (2023), South Korea (2024), and France (2025).
