Outcomes from the India AI Summit

The India AI Summit, held in February 2026 in New Delhi, marked a significant shift in global conversations around artificial intelligence, moving beyond questions of safety and governance towards a stronger focus on implementation and development outcomes. The summit positioned itself as a platform for advancing a more inclusive and development-oriented vision for AI, particularly one that reflects the priorities of emerging economies and Global South countries. Central themes included expanding access to digital infrastructure, fostering innovation ecosystems, and ensuring that AI contributes to broader goals such as economic growth, public service delivery, and social inclusion.  

Highlighting growing calls to reshape global AI cooperation in a more multipolar context, conversations emphasized “Sovereign AI” capabilities, regional leadership, and diversified financing sources. We saw major investment commitments made in AI infrastructure, while discussions pointed to a larger role for multilateral institutions such as the World Bank in supporting capacity building and equitable access. 

The outcomes revealed ongoing challenges around coordination, governance, and ensuring that developing countries are not left behind as AI becomes an increasingly central driver of global economic transformation.

Tune in on April 16, 2026 at 12:00pm ET as CSIS expert Rick Rossow and Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of the World Bank Hemang Jani unpack these outcomes and discuss how institutions like the World Bank can best support countries as they develop AI systems that are inclusive and sustainable. 

The CSIS Futures Summit is made possible through generous support from Chevron Inc. (Founding sponsor), ADM, Cisco, and the Embassy of Denmark in Washington D.C.