PM to inaugurate India AI Impact Expo 2026 on 16th February

Prime Minister  Narendra Modi will inaugurate India AI Impact Expo 2026 on 16th February, 2026 at 5 PM at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The India AI Impact Expo 2026 will be held from 16th to 20th February 2026, alongside the India AI Impact Summit, at Bharat Mandapam. The Expo will serve as a national demonstration of AI in action, where policy meets practice, innovation meets scale, and technology meets the everyday citizen.

Spread across 10 arenas covering more than 70,000 square metres, the Expo will bring together global technology firms, startups, academia and research institutions, Union Ministries, State Governments, and international partners. The Expo will also feature 13 country pavilions, showcasing international collaboration in the AI ecosystem. These include pavilions from Australia, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan and Africa.

The Expo will host over 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations, structured across three thematic chakras – People, Planet and Progress. In addition, the Expo will feature over 600 high-potential startups, many of them building globally relevant and population-scale solutions. These startups will demonstrate working solutions that are already deployed in real-world settings.

The India AI Impact Expo 2026 is expected to witness participation of over 2.5 lakh visitors, including international delegates. The event aims to foster new partnerships and create business opportunities within the global AI ecosystem.

Over 500 sessions will be organised, featuring more than 3250 visionary speakers and panel members. These sessions will focus on acknowledging the transformative impact of AI across sectors and deliberating on future actions to ensure that AI benefits every global citizen.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will participate in the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi with a dedicated pavilion centred on the vision of “AI for Inclusive Development”, positioning skilling at the heart of India’s AI journey. As the Summit brings together global leaders, policymakers and technology pioneers in what is being recognised as one of the largest AI gatherings in the Global South, MSDE’s presence will underscore India’s commitment to ensuring that artificial intelligence strengthens livelihoods rather than displacing them.

Welcoming the Summit, Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Government of India said, “India’s hosting of one of the largest AI summits in the Global South reflects our resolve to shape a responsible and inclusive AI future. I look forward to meaningful engagements with global partners and to showcasing how India is equipping its youth and workforce with AI-ready skills that power growth and opportunity for all.”

The MSDE Pavilion will translate this vision into action through a comprehensive framework built around skilling in AI, skilling with AI and skilling for AI. Skilling in AI will focus on building foundational and advanced competencies in artificial intelligence through initiatives such as SOAR (Skilling for AI Readiness), NSQF-aligned emerging job roles and short-duration nano-credentials delivered in partnership with industry. Visitors at the Pavilion will be able to experience micro-learning modules, live dashboards and interactive installations that will demonstrate how AI literacy can be democratised across age groups and backgrounds, enabling learners to transition into AI-enabled careers.

Skilling with AI will highlight how artificial intelligence is transforming the delivery and governance of skill development itself. AI-powered systems such as the Skill India Assistant (SIA) will guide learners on career pathways aligned with their qualifications and interests, while recommendation engines integrated with the Skill India Digital Hub will personalise course suggestions across sectors. AI-enabled monitoring and assessment tools, including computer vision-based practical evaluations, will demonstrate how technology can enhance transparency, efficiency and credibility in skill certification. Together, these innovations will show how AI is being embedded within the skilling ecosystem to improve outcomes, reach and quality.

Skilling for AI will address workforce readiness in an economy where AI increasingly augments productivity. Through gamified demonstrations and real-life personas, the Pavilion will illustrate how farmers can leverage AI-driven advisory systems, electricians can diagnose faults using AI-enabled applications, construction workers can access multilingual AI learning support on-site, and weavers can co-create customised designs using AI tools. These examples will reinforce the message that AI is not confined to coders or large enterprises; it can enhance productivity and incomes for India’s informal and blue-collar workforce as well.

On the sidelines of the Summit, the Minister will undertake a series of engagements with global technology leaders, academia and industry partners to deepen collaborations in AI skilling and digital inclusion.

Jayant Chaudhary is scheduled to visit the MSDE Pavilion on 17th February to review the installations, interact with youth participants and engage with stakeholders demonstrating AI-enabled skilling solutions.

Through its participation at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, MSDE reiterates its commitment to ensuring that India’s AI transformation is human-centric, inclusive and employment-oriented, aligned with the broader vision of building a Viksit Bharat where technology expands opportunity and strengthens the nation’s demographic dividend.