Ambassador Kwatra invites American CFOs to invest in India's market, using the February 2026 AI Summit as a hub for AI collaboration and innovation partnerships.
Event in New Delhi will address seven themes including Safe AI, Human Capital, and Inclusion, gathering global leaders to create roadmaps for responsible AI deployment.
Seattle briefing engaged US lawmakers and tech executives on AI in Agri-Tech and infrastructure; further sessions planned to draw finance leaders ahead of the Global South's flagship AI gathering.
India has issued a formal invitation to US chief financial officers and finance leaders to invest in its rapidly expanding economy, with a special emphasis on the upcoming India-AI Impact Summit 2026 as a key platform for partnerships in responsible artificial intelligence. The outreach, led by Ambassador Vinay Kwatra, underscores the strengthening bilateral ties between New Delhi and Washington, positioning the summit as an ideal venue for American firms to engage with Indian innovation ecosystems.
The India-AI Impact Summit, scheduled for February 19-20, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, is the first global-scale AI event hosted in the Global South under the IndiaAI Mission and in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It will convene policymakers, researchers, industry executives, startups, and international organizations to deliberate on seven core themes: Safe and Trusted AI, Human Capital, Science, Resilience Innovation and Efficiency, Inclusion and Social Empowerment, Democratizing AI Resources, and Global Cooperation. The summit follows major international forums like the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (2023), AI Seoul Summit (2024), and Paris AI Action Summit (2025, co-chaired by India), aiming to forge actionable roadmaps for inclusive AI development that benefits people, the planet, and progress.
This invitation builds on recent pre-summit activities, including a November 7, 2025, curtain-raiser hosted by the Consulate General of India in Seattle. The event featured roundtable discussions with US Congressmen Adam Smith and Michael Baumgartner, alongside tech CEOs from the Greater Seattle area, covering topics such as AI applications in Agri-Tech and the potential for data centers and digital infrastructure in India. Additional workshops are planned for early 2026 at leading US universities in the Pacific Northwest and with major AI stakeholders, further amplifying outreach to financial decision-makers.
The summit's Global Impact Challenge, launched under the "AI for All" initiative, invites innovators, women-led teams, and youth aged 13-21 to submit AI solutions addressing real-world problems, with winners receiving up to INR 6 crore in prizes, mentoring, and global showcase opportunities at the event. This aligns with India's broader vision to lead in equitable AI, fostering investments in sectors like technology, sustainability, and social empowerment amid bilateral trade projected to exceed $200 billion by 2030
