(Image source from: Impactexpo.indiaai.gov.in)
The government announced on Wednesday that the India AI Impact Summit 2026 has been extended by another day, moving to February 21, due to a large number of visitors and exhibitors. The event was initially supposed to finish on February 20. To provide a better experience for those attending, the expo hours have been adjusted to stay open until 8 pm, instead of the previous 6 pm. However, the summit will not be open to the public on February 19 (Thursday) because of limited activities that day. The exhibition will be available to visitors on February 20 and 21. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned that more than 300,000 people have signed up for the summit so far, calling the turnout a “very strong response” that shows increasing interest in artificial intelligence. He noted that nearly 250,000 individuals, mostly under 30, have already checked out the exhibition space.
Registration for the summit has been temporarily stopped on its official website because of the “overwhelming response,” indicating a spike in public interest in artificial intelligence. A notice on the website states, "The Summit is currently oversubscribed due to the overwhelming response and limited on-site capacity. " Vaishnaw also expressed regret to attendees who encountered problems on the first day of the event, which is being regarded as one of the largest AI gatherings worldwide, attributing these challenges to the high turnout. He assured that the government is receptive and determined to respond to feedback to create a better experience for everyone involved. The summit, which was opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, has attracted participation from world leaders, key executives from major tech companies, and representatives from about 45 nations.
The event features over 300 specially organized exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations, centered around three main themes—people, planet, and progress. Additionally, it showcases more than 600 promising startups, many presenting AI solutions that are already being used effectively in real life. Furthermore, the summit includes 13 country pavilions, highlighting international partnerships in the AI sector, with participants from Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan, and Africa. Spanning 10 areas covering over 70,000 square meters, the summit brings together global tech companies, startups, academic institutions, research organizations, Union ministries, state agencies, and international collaborators. According to the government, the exhibition is meant to show AI in action, where policy aligns with practice, and innovation merges with scale, creating new partnerships and business opportunities within the global AI community.
