Bill Gates is attending India AI Impact Summit 2026
What's the story
Bill Gates shall be attending the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, confirmed a spokesperson from the Gates Foundation. The confirmation comes after some media reports suggested that the Microsoft co-founder would not be attending due to "unavoidable reasons." However, the foundation has clarified that Gates is still on the list of key participants along with other tech leaders like OpenAI chief Sam Altman and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Tech appreciation
Gates praises Andhra Pradesh's rapid development
During his visit to Amaravati, Gates praised the rapid development of Andhra Pradesh, noting that it was great to see the state's growth being driven by AI and technology. He thanked CM N Chandrababu Naidu for the warm welcome and said he was excited to witness innovations in health, agriculture, and education across the state.
Visit
Other activities during Gates's visit to Amaravati
During his stay in Amaravati, Gates attended several events including meetings with the CM and officials. He also reviewed tech-led governance initiatives and visited a banana plantation along the Krishna river bank. The AI Impact Summit 2026 is the first international AI summit to be held in the Global South, showcasing artificial intelligence policy, innovation, and deployment on a national scale.
Event details
About the AI Impact Summit 2026
The AI Expo is being held across 10 venues covering over 70,000 square meters. It features global tech giants, start-ups, academia, research institutions, union ministries, state governments, and international partners. Thirteen country pavilions are showcasing collaboration in AI ecosystem with participation from Australia, Japan, Russia, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan, and African nations. Over 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demos are being organized across three thematic "chakras" - People, Planet, and Progress.
Visitor expectations
NVIDIA CEO won't attend summit
The AI Expo is expected to draw over 2.5 lakh visitors, including international delegates. The event aims at fostering global partnerships and business opportunities within the AI ecosystem. Notably, chipmaker NVIDIA had announced that its CEO Jensen Huang shall not travel to India for the summit despite being billed as a key attraction.