India AI Impact Expo 2026: PM Modi to open mega AI showcase - 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations from 13 countries

India AI Impact Expo 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India AI Impact Expo 2026 on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 5 PM at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The India AI Impact Expo 2026 will be held from February 16 to 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, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) read.

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.

India AI Impact Expo 2026: 13 country pavilions

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 PMO statement said.

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, the PMO said.

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.

Ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the finalists of three flagship Global Impact Challenges — AI for ALL, AI by HER, and YUVAi were announced. These challenges are launched to advance the adoption of novel and impactful AI solutions, aligned with global priorities. Together, we received more than 4,650 applications from over 60 countries, underscoring strong international participation.

Following a rigorous multi-stage evaluation by domain experts and industry leaders, the top 70 teams across Challenges have been selected as finalists. They will present their solutions at the Summit’s Grand Finale and Awards Felicitation Ceremony on 16th and 17th February at Bharat Mandapam and Sushma Swaraj Bhawan.

The AI for ALL Global Impact Challenge received over 1,350 applications from more than 60 countries, focusing on scalable AI solutions across healthcare, agriculture, climate resilience, governance, education, and financial inclusion. The Top 20 finalists reflect high-impact, real-world applications ranging from AI-driven infection screening, soil intelligence, and climate risk analytics to digital health diagnostics, cybersecurity, industrial efficiency, accessible education technologies and AI-enabled governance systems. Together, these innovations demonstrate how AI can drive equitable growth and strengthen public service delivery across the Global South.

The AI by HER Global Impact Challenge, which received over 800 applications from more than 50 countries, is dedicated to advancing women-led innovation in artificial intelligence. The Top 30 finalists highlight women entrepreneurs driving impactful AI solutions across healthcare, sustainability, financial inclusion, workforce development, education, agriculture and digital commerce. Their innovations include AI-enabled cancer and retinal screening tools, multilingual clinical decision support systems, voice-to-EMR platforms, precision nutrition solutions, credit intelligence systems, ESG automation platforms, and multilingual localization technologies that expand access at scale. AI by HER underscores the Government’s commitment to inclusive digital growth and to positioning women innovators at the forefront of the global AI ecosystem.

YUVAi Global Youth Challenge

The YUVAi Global Youth Challenge, which received over 2,500 applications from 38 countries, showcases the innovation and problem-solving capabilities of young AI leaders aged 13 to 21. The Top 20 finalists are applying AI across public health, agriculture, climate resilience, accessibility, smart mobility and digital trust. Their solutions include malaria detection systems, AI-powered speech assistive wearables, cervical cancer screening tools, telemedicine platforms for rural care, agricultural intelligence systems, livestock analytics, forest fire and flood early warning systems, deepfake detection tools, and assistive technologies for the visually impaired. YUVAi reflects a globally emerging talent, committed to nurturing youth-led innovation aligned with societal needs and developmental priorities.

The Top 70 teams across the three challenges will showcase their solutions at the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026, engaging with policymakers, industry leaders, investors and academia. They will receive recognition and ecosystem support to help scale their innovations nationally and globally. The strong global response underscores India’s growing role as a hub for responsible AI innovation, anchored in the vision of People, Planet and Progress.