Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the five-day AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam on Monday, February 16, 2026. The event attracted over 2.5 lakh registered visitors, packing the sprawling 100-acre complex to capacity. Nearly every conference hall was filled, with standing room only in several panel venues, according to MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan. The summit featured more than 100 sessions and over 400 exhibition booths from industry leaders, academia, startups, and global tech giants. Access to the event was free with registration and hugely oversubscribed. However, attendees reported logistical issues such as overcrowding, long food queues, and some vendors refusing digital payments. There were also shortages of food items and limited availability of drinking water. Security sanitisation forced some exhibitors to evacuate on short notice. Theft was also reported by one exhibitor. Innovative services were introduced, including grocery drop-off points set up by a quick-commerce platform and an online food delivery service inside the complex. Digi Yatra's facial recognition system was piloted to ease entry. PM Modi said on X, "The AI Impact Summit will enrich global discourse on diverse aspects of AI, such as innovation, collaboration, responsible use and more." Later, after touring the exhibition, he added, "It is a matter of immense pride that people from all over the world are coming to India for the India AI Impact Summit," highlighting India’s rapid scientific and technological progress. Thursday will feature the plenary session led by PM Modi, with keynotes from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft president Brad Smith, and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang canceled his visit over the weekend. Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates was removed from the online speaker list, with no clear response on his attendance. The summit continues to be a showcase of India's AI ambitions and global engagement.