India AI Impact Summit 2026 draws strong global response, 70 teams named finalists

Ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, the government announced 70 finalists across three global AI challenges after receiving over 4,650 applications from more than 60 countries, underscoring India’s growing role in responsible artificial intelligence innovation.

New Delhi: The government on Sunday said the overwhelming global participation in the India AI Impact Summit 2026 underlines India’s growing role as a hub for responsible artificial intelligence innovation, guided by the vision of People, Planet and Progress.

Ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which will be held in New Delhi from February 16 to 20, the finalists of three flagship Global Impact Challenges — AI for ALL, AI by HER and YUVAi — have been announced.

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These challenges were launched to promote innovative and socially impactful AI solutions aligned with global priorities, Ministry of Electronics & IT said.

Together, the three competitions received more than 4,650 applications from over 60 countries — reflecting strong international interest.

After a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process by domain experts and industry leaders, the top 70 teams have been selected as finalists.

They will present their solutions at the Grand Finale and Awards Felicitation Ceremony on February 16 and 17 at Bharat Mandapam and Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi.

The AI for ALL Global Impact Challenge alone received over 1,350 applications from more than 60 countries.

It focused on scalable AI solutions in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, climate resilience, governance, education and financial inclusion.

The top 20 finalists have developed real-world applications including AI-driven infection screening tools, soil intelligence systems, climate risk analytics platforms, digital health diagnostics, cybersecurity solutions, industrial efficiency tools, accessible education technologies and AI-enabled governance systems.

“These innovations show how AI can support equitable growth and improve public service delivery, especially across the Global South,” the ministry stated.

The AI by HER Global Impact Challenge, which received more than 800 applications from over 50 countries, is aimed at promoting women-led innovation in artificial intelligence.

The top 30 finalists include women entrepreneurs working on AI-based solutions in healthcare, sustainability, financial inclusion, workforce development, agriculture, education and digital commerce.

Their projects range from AI-powered cancer and retinal screening tools to multilingual clinical decision support systems, voice-to-EMR platforms, precision nutrition technologies, credit intelligence systems, ESG automation platforms and multilingual localisation tools.

The government said the challenge reflects its commitment to inclusive digital growth and to placing women innovators at the forefront of the global AI ecosystem.