New Delhi: The AI Impact Summit 2026 concluded in Delhi with 88 countries and international organisations endorsing the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, calling for equitable access to artificial intelligence and stronger global cooperation.
The voluntary, non-binding declaration emphasised national sovereignty, democratisation of AI resources and the need to ensure that the benefits of artificial intelligence are shared across humanity. Signatories include the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Israel, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the European Union, a government statement said on Saturday.
‘Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya’
“Guided by the principle of ‘Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya’ (Welfare for all, Happiness for all), the Declaration underscores that the benefits of AI must be equitably shared across humanity,” the statement read.
The document outlined seven key pillars, including democratising AI resources, promoting economic growth and social good, advancing secure and trustworthy AI, expanding access for social empowerment and strengthening international cooperation. It called for advancing “secure, trustworthy and robust AI” as foundational to building trust and maximising societal and economic gains.
The declaration also proposed pooling global AI research capabilities, supporting locally relevant innovation, promoting open-source and accessible AI systems and developing energy-efficient AI infrastructure amid rising power demands from data centres.
Vaishnaw describes summit a grand success
Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described the summit as a “grand success”, saying that India secured infrastructure investment commitments worth over $250 billion during the event.
Held at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20, the summit drew over five lakh visitors and more than 20 heads of state, alongwith global policymakers, technology leaders and industry experts. It is the first major global AI event hosted in the Global South.