Over 2.5 lakh register for AI Impact Summit; MeitY secy Krishnan says it is "reflection of India's energy"

Talking to ANI on the inaugural day of the Summit, Krishnan said the response was overwhelming and unprecedented.

"The enthusiasm to participate in the event has truly grown. We have more than 2.5 lakh registrations from across India and the rest of the world. We've tried to make all the arrangements that we can. We never anticipated that there would be so many people willing and wanting to attend, which is why we did not restrict the registrations. So on all the days except the 19th, all of them are welcome to attend the various sessions that are going on," he said.

With participation numbers soaring, nearly all sessions have witnessed full capacity crowds, he said. Krishnan described this as a wonderful reflection of the kind of energy that India is able to bring to any event of this kind.

He clarified that, except for the proceedings scheduled on February 19, all registered participants are welcome to attend various sessions.

He said organisers have urged attendees to strictly follow safety guidelines to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.

"We want all of them to just follow the relevant safety instructions to make sure that the event is enjoyable for everybody. There are enough and adequate arrangements for food, water and all other requirements outside in the food courts. There are health-related arrangements and all, no effort has been spared to make sure that everyone has a comfortable experience," the Meity Secretary said.

The multi-day event commenced today and detailed takeaways are expected after further discussions and deliberations. Krishnan indicated that he would share key outcomes in the coming days once substantive engagements have taken place.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially inaugurate India AI Impact Expo 2026 this evening.

The India AI Impact Expo 2026 is being held from Februray 16-20, 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, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan and Africa.

The Expo will host over 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations, organised into 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 attract 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 Artificial Interlligence benefits every global citizen. (ANI)