OPINION EDITORIAL ON HERITAGE CREATIVE BEATS INTERALIA WIDE ANGLE OTHER VIEW ART SPACE

India, Where the AI World Assembled

Global collaboration on display at Bharat Mandapam

On a mild February morning in New Delhi, the glass façade of Bharat Mandapam reflected more than sunlight. It reflected possibility. Inside, thirteen country pavilions stood in a sweeping arc, each a statement of intent. Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan and a collective African pavilion had all arrived with ideas, investments and quiet ambition. This was the hook of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The world had not just come to attend. It had come to collaborate.

From Panini to the AI Stack: Delhi’s AI Moment and the Logic of National Capability

Better administration, not bigger budgets alone!

The Death of Drinking Water in a Water-Rich Land

From 16 to 21 February 2026, the India AI Impact Expo unfolded alongside the Summit, spreading across ten arenas and more than 70,000 square metres. Global delegates, technology leaders, researchers and students moved through expansive halls designed for dialogue and demonstration. In response to the overwhelming interest, the Government of India extended the exhibition by an extra day, keeping it open to the public on Saturday, 21 February, to ensure a more comfortable experience. The gesture was simple but telling. This was not a closed room conversation. It was a public moment.

At the centre of it all lay a theme rooted in civilisational confidence — ‘Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya’ (Welfare for all, Happiness of all). In his inaugural address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this was India’s benchmark for artificial intelligence. He spoke of diversity, demography and democracy as India’s enduring strengths. Any AI model that succeeded in India, he noted, could be deployed globally. Then came the invitation: design and develop in India; deliver to the world; deliver to humanity. The words travelled far beyond the hall.

The thirteen........

© Kashmir Images