All About Bharat Mandapan, The Venue Hosting AI Impact Summit In Delhi

Last Updated:February 17, 2026, 14:23 IST

The venue now hosting the world's AI summit once stood as wasteland. Today it seats more people than the Sydney Opera House. Here is what you probably did not know.

Bharat Mandapam, India’s state-of-the-art International Exhibition and Convention Centre (IECC) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, is hosting the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026. The venue that now stages global gatherings once stood on what many saw as wasteland. Today, it can seat more people than the Sydney Opera House. Here is what you may not know.

1. Built on historic ground

Bharat Mandapam stands on the 123-acre Pragati Maidan site in central New Delhi. The land hosted an international agriculture fair in 1959, attended by US President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev during the Cold War.

It was also home to the Hall of Nations, considered the world’s first large-span cast-in-situ concrete space frame. The structure was demolished overnight in April 2017 despite protests and court cases.

2. A name with meaning

“Bharat" means India. “Mandapam" refers to a pillared pavilion in ancient temple architecture used for public rituals and ceremonies.

The name draws inspiration from the Anubhav Mandapam, a 12th-century concept promoted by Lord Basaveshwara as a space for open public discussion. The venue is intended to serve as a forum for dialogue.

3. Inspired by a river

The design competition in 2016 was won by Sanjay Singh of Arcop Associates (Delhi) and Simon Nunez of Aedas (Singapore). Their concept was inspired by the Yamuna River, which once flowed close to the site.

The building’s elliptical form mirrors the river’s movement and is shaped like a shankha, or conch shell, a symbol in Hindu tradition. It has no designated front or rear entrance and appears the same from every side, reflecting equality and inclusivity.

4. Larger than the Sydney Opera House

The main convention hall can seat up to 7,000 people in a single format. The Sydney Opera House has a combined seating capacity of about 5,500 across its venues.

The complex also includes a 3,000-seat open-air amphitheatre, six exhibition halls covering 150,000 square metres, and a total built-up area of 390,000 square metres. It was built at a cost of around Rs 2,700 crore, or about $325 million.

5. A ‘window to Delhi’

On the fourth floor is a 120-metre-long lobby with floor-to-ceiling glass offering views of Kartavya Path, the India Gate canopy, and the domes of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The feature was designed as a tribute to its location near Lutyens’ Delhi. Delegates can view one of the capital’s most recognised skylines from this space.

6. From inauguration to G20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Bharat Mandapam on July 26, 2023, marking Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Just 45 days later, it hosted the 19th G20 Summit on September 9 and 10, welcoming leaders including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron.

7. Hosting AI Impact Summit

From February 16 to 20, 2026, Bharat Mandapam is hosting the India AI Impact Summit. More than 250,000 visitors, over 100 countries and global technology leaders such as Google CEO Sundar Pichai and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are attending.

In less than three years since its inauguration, the venue has hosted both a G20 Summit and a major global AI gathering.

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