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India has formally invited China to participate as a partnering nation in its upcoming AI Impact Summit 2026, marking the first time Beijing has been extended an official invitation to the country’s annual artificial intelligence event. The move reflects New Delhi’s push to shape a coordinated global approach to AI governance while highlighting its growing domestic capabilities in foundational AI models.
The week-long summit will be held in New Delhi from February 15 to 20, 2026, and is expected to bring together policymakers, technology leaders, and researchers from across the world. According to senior government officials, invitations have been sent to more than 100 countries, with a particular focus on nations from the Global South.
Shift in Global AI Diplomacy
India’s outreach to China comes months after Beijing participated in the AI Action Summit 2025 in France, where India served as a co-chair. The move also follows China’s decision not to sign the declaration at the 2024 AI Summit in Seoul, highlighting evolving dynamics in global AI cooperation.
“We have invited several countries, including France, and have also sent a formal invitation to China to participate in the AI Impact Summit,” said S. Krishnan, Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). He added that confirmations from multiple nations have already been received.
China’s role in global AI discussions has gained prominence following the rise of cost-efficient AI models such as DeepSeek and Qwen, which have drawn attention for their lower training and deployment costs. While these models have sparked interest, they have yet to see widespread enterprise adoption internationally.
Focus on Policy Consensus and Homegrown AI Models
Krishnan said it remains unclear whether China will ultimately attend the summit. Requests for comment sent to the Chinese embassy had not received a response at the time of reporting.
The Indian government expects over 50 heads of state to attend the summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to host a formal dinner for global leaders and senior technology executives during the event. Several prominent figures from the global AI ecosystem, including leaders of major technology firms, are expected to participate.
India’s first AI summit in 2023 resulted in a declaration on AI safety under the Global Partnership on AI framework. However, questions have been raised globally about the enforceability of such declarations.
Addressing those concerns, Krishnan said the 2026 summit aims to move beyond symbolic agreements. “The objective is to reach a meaningful policy consensus and present a unified regulatory direction,” he said, adding that India will also showcase foundational AI models developed by startups supported under its national AI Mission.
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