The Union government is organizing the 2026 AI Impact Summit on a grand scale, comparable to the 2023 G20 Summit. IT Secretary S. Krishnan stated that around 15 to 20 heads of state are expected to attend, with about 100,000 participants slated for the main event in February. The summit has grown since it began in 2023 at Bletchley Park, UK, starting with 27 countries. Participation surpassed 100 countries by the 2025 summit in Paris, where India took over hosting duties for 2026. India has planned numerous pre-summit events, over 300 globally, to prepare for the gathering. Major AI companies like Anthropic and Google Deepmind are expected to send top researchers and business leaders. Officials confirmed that new countries from the Global South will join this edition, although details are pending. China will also be invited, following tradition. The summit will focus on AI impacts in work, safety and trust protocols, and industry-specific applications. Mr. Krishnan emphasized India's priorities: ensuring AI is widely accessible to all countries, not limited to a few companies or regions. This includes access to infrastructure such as computing, AI models, and data. He also highlighted the need for a balanced AI governance framework, one that avoids heavy regulation but safeguards against potential risks. "We need to approach AI with a positive mindset as a technology which we can take significant advantage of," he said. The inclusion of the Global South, led by India, is a key goal for the summit’s efforts. With strong political and industry support, the AI Impact Summit 2026 promises to be a landmark event in global AI collaboration and policy shaping.