India AI Impact Summit 2026 extended amid record turnout; 2.5 lakh students set Guinness world record
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The India AI Impact Summit 2026 has been extended by a day after drawing an unexpectedly large turnout at Bharat Mandapam, signalling rising public and industry interest in India’s artificial intelligence ambitions.
IT Secretary S. Krishnan announced that the exhibition will now remain open through February 21, with visiting hours extended until 8 pm to ease crowd movement. However, public access will be suspended on February 19 due to high-level security arrangements linked to the Prime Minister’s inaugural address and restricted-entry engagements with global CEOs.
Crowd surge forces calendar reset
Authorities introduced staggered access and revised entry-exit protocols to manage swelling footfall at the ITPO complex. Traffic diversions are expected during peak evening hours, and delegates have been advised to vacate the main convention hall by late afternoon on select days to accommodate official engagements.
The move reflects the summit’s scale this year, with participation spanning policymakers, Fortune 500 executives, startup founders and academia.
Record-breaking AI pledge
In a defining moment for the event, the summit entered the Guinness World Records after 2,50,946 students pledged to use AI responsibly within 24 hours—far surpassing the original target of 5,000.
The pledge drive underscores the government’s attempt to balance rapid AI adoption with ethical guardrails. As global regulators debate AI safety frameworks, India is positioning itself as a champion of “responsible AI” rooted in scale and public participation.
India’s AI market at an inflection point
The summit unfolds at a time when India’s AI economy is accelerating. Industry estimates peg the domestic AI market at over $17 billion by 2027, powered by enterprise digitisation, public digital infrastructure and one of the world’s largest AI talent pools.
Government-backed initiatives and production-linked incentives in electronics and semiconductors are also expected to strengthen the AI hardware ecosystem over the next five years.
Expo turns policy into practice
Running alongside the summit, the India AI Impact Expo spans over 70,000 square metres across 10 thematic arenas. Thirteen country pavilions—including Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and France—highlight deepening international collaboration in AI research, governance and commercial deployment.
Officials said global CEOs described the sessions as “extremely high quality,” reinforcing New Delhi’s ambition to shape global AI discourse while scaling domestic innovation.