Parliament Question: Vetting and verification of participants at India AI Impact Summit, 2026

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2478 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 13.03.2026 VETTING AND VERIFICATION OF PARTICIPANTS AT INDIA AI IMPACT SUMMIT, 2026 2478. SHRI P. WILSON: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) the process, vetting criteria and verification mechanisms adopted for participation and exhibits at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 and whether any lapses were identified; (b) the details of participants, dignitaries and others, invited and who attended, State-wise, country- wise; (c) the action taken including penalties or inquiry against Galgotia University for presenting the Chinese-made Unitree Go2 robotic dog as its own innovation; (d) the total Government expenditure on the Summit, with budgetary breakup including IndiaAI Mission allocations; and (e) the investments, economic benefits and other tangible outcomes arising from the Summit? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (e): In line with the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government is democratising technology development and access. The focus is on using AI to solve real- world problems in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education and governance. India’s growing strength in AI is recognised globally. Stanford AI Index places us among global leaders in AI skills and capabilities. India is home to the third-largest AI startup ecosystem in the world, with almost 89% of startups last year being AI driven. India - AI Impact Summit 2026 Given India’s growing role in the global AI ecosystem, India co-chaired the Paris AI Action Summit 2025. Building on this momentum, India hosted the India AI Impact Summit 2026 from 16-21 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. This was the largest AI Summit held so far and first-ever to be organised in the Global South. The shift signals a broader move toward a more inclusive global AI dialogue.The Summit brought together leaders from governments, industry, academia, civil society, and startups at one platform. More than 100 countries, including 22 Heads of State or Government, and around 10 international organisations participated in it. Major initiatives and outcomes announced during Summit: • India AI Impact Summit Declaration endorsed by 92 countries and international Organisations with declaration acknowledging the work undertaken by seven thematic working groups during the Summit • New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments were signed by 13 leading model providers • 12 Deliverables across 7 working groups, with individual endorsements from 20+ countries for each deliverable [Significantly more than previous Summits] o Launch of the Global AI Impact Commons with 80+ impact stories across 30+ countries o Release of the Equitable AI Transition Playbook in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) o Signing of the Voluntary Guiding Principles for Resilient, Innovative & Efficient AI, endorsed by 20+ Countries o Signing of the Voluntary Guiding Principles for Reskilling in the Age of AI, endorsed by 24 Countries o Adoption of the Charter for the Democratic Diffusion of AI, with support from 25 countries & international o Release of the Playbook for Advancing Resilient AI Infrastructure o Release of Guidance Note on AI Governance, endorsed by 22 countries o Announcement of the Trusted AI Commons with 23 partner countries prior to formal launch o Announcement of the Alliance for Advancing Inclusion Through AI announced, endorsed by 21 Countries & UNICEF o Launch of the Network of AI For Science Institutions with 20 partner countries at inception o Launch of the Resilient AI Challenge in partnership with France & UNESCO • AI Responsibility Campaign - Global Record: India successfully achieved a Guinness World Record for the “Most pledges received for an AI responsibility campaign in 24 hours,” with over 2.5 lakh validated pledges • Six global casebooks documenting high-impact AI deployments were released, covering: o AI in Health (with WHO) o AI in Energy (with IEA) o AI in Gender Empowerment (with UN Women) o AI in Agriculture (with the Government of Maharashtra, supported by the World Bank) o AI in Education (with CSF and EkStep Foundation) o AI in Accessibility (with ALIMCO, IIIT-Bangalore and ChangeInkk Foundation) AI Impact Startup Book was also launched by MeitY, presenting insights into India’s AI and deep- tech startup ecosystem.The Summit also witnessed announcements of investment commitments across the AI value chain, with expected investments exceeding USD 250 billion across infrastructure, foundation models, hardware, and applications. Global venture capital firms pledged multi-billion-dollar investments to support AI innovation, while a leading technology company announced significant investments in connectivity, an AI hub in India, and large-scale training initiatives reaching tens of millions of public servants and students. The Summit served as a platform for dialogue, partnerships and investment announcements in the AI ecosystem. MOU/Agreement signed India joined the Pax Silica coalition at the India-AI Impact Summit 2026. The coalition includes the United States and other partner nations and focuses on securing the global silicon supply chain and strengthening a resilient technology ecosystem. On the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, IndiaAI Mission and Business Sweden also signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies and to promote trade and investment engagement between India and Sweden. The India AI Impact Expo was conducted as a part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Participation was invited through Expression of Interest (EOI) from various AI ecosystem partners. These included corporates, startups, country representations, central govt. (Min & Depts), State govt., Public Sector Undertakings, Academia/ Research Institutions, and NGOs. The exhibition space was allotted within the approved layout framework of the Expo. The responsibility regarding the nature of exhibits, representations made, and compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements rested with the respective exhibitors in the India AI Impact Expo. One of the exhibitors, Galgotias University made misleading statement about a robotic product which they were demonstrating. Following this, Galgotias University was instructed to leave the India AI Impact Expo. A total of 908 organizations had participated as exhibitors. The list of participants is available on website https://www.impactexpo.indiaai.gov.in/. The expenditure incurred on Summit till 9 March 2026 is Rs. 65 Crore. *******