Day 1 of India AI Impact Summit 2026: PM Modi Inaugurates AI Expo and More

By: Ajay Ajay

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Updated on: 17-Feb-2026

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Key Highlights

• PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam on February 16, 2026
• Anthropic announced the opening of its first Indian office in Bengaluru
• Union Minister JP Nadda teased two major health AI announcements scheduled for February 17
• No major policy or funding announcements made on day one of the AI Impact Summit
• AI Expo features booths from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, NeoSapnies, and several other companies and institutions
• India ranks as Anthropic’s second-largest market for Claude usage

PM Modi Inaugurates AI Expo on Day One

Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam on February 16, marking the opening highlight of the summit’s first day. The expo serves as the central showcase area, with hundreds of companies, research institutions, and industry players demonstrating AI innovations to attendees and media.

In a post on X, PM Modi stated: “Inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam. Being here among innovators, researchers and tech enthusiasts gives a glimpse of the extraordinary potential of AI, Indian talent and innovation. Together, we will shape solutions not just for India but for the world!”

Anthropic Opens First Indian Office in Bengaluru

Anthropic announced the opening of its first office in India, located in Bengaluru. This marks the company’s second office in the Asia-Pacific region after Tokyo. The Bengaluru office will function as the primary hub for both consumer-facing and enterprise operations in the country.

Anthropic also noted that India is currently its second-largest market for usage of the Claude AI model.

Two Health AI Initiatives Teased for February 17

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda announced that two significant AI-related initiatives in healthcare will be launched on Tuesday, February 17.

The first is the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India. SAHI acts as the national framework for safe and ethical integration of AI into healthcare. It outlines governance mechanisms, data management protocols, and deployment guidelines to ensure inclusive adoption aligned with public health priorities.

The second is the Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI (BODH). Developed jointly by IIT Kanpur and the National Health Authority, BODH is a privacy-preserving platform classified as a digital public good under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). It allows evaluation and benchmarking of health AI models using real-world data while maintaining patient confidentiality.

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AI Expo Participants and Event Context

The AI Expo hosts prominent booths from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, NeoSapnies, and multiple other entities. Day one focused primarily on the expo inauguration and side announcements, with no major government policy releases or funding schemes disclosed during the sessions.

The official inauguration of the main AI Impact Summit is scheduled for February 19, 2026.