In a significant move highlighting a warming of bilateral ties, India has formally invited China to participate in the upcoming India–AI Impact Summit 2026, which New Delhi will host from February 15 to 20 next year. This marks the first time the high-profile AI forum will be held in the Global South.
Diplomatic Thaw and Summit Details
Responding to queries during a press briefing, IT Secretary S Krishnan confirmed that the formal invitation has been sent to Beijing. The summit, now in its fourth iteration, was previously hosted by the United Kingdom, South Korea, and France. While not a formal grouping of nations, the AI Summit allows the host country to decide the guest list.
India's invitation to China follows a pattern, as Beijing participated in the previous three summits despite initial controversies. When the UK hosted the inaugural event in 2023, it faced pushback from allies and lawmakers over China's inclusion but proceeded with the invitation.
Global Participation and Focus
The summit aims to generate actionable, long-term recommendations for AI governance rather than immediate binding regulations. It is expected to draw heads of government from 15 to 20 countries alongside leading global AI figures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the expo, host an evening dinner, and address a CEO Roundtable. Confirmed attendees include Bill Gates and CEOs of major tech firms like DeepMind's Demis Hassabis, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, Adobe's Shantanu Narayen, Salesforce's Mark Benioff, Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon, and FedEx's Raj Subramanyam.
India has sent invitations to nearly 140 countries, receiving about 15,500 registrations from 136 nations. Notably, 76 of these countries are from the Global South, underscoring the forum's expanded geographic reach.
Broader Context of India-China Relations
The AI summit invitation is the latest step in a gradual easing of tensions between the two Asian giants. Earlier this year, direct flights between India and China resumed after a five-year hiatus.
In the trade arena, while China had previously blocked applications from companies supplying rare earth components to Indian automakers—part of a broader critical minerals strategy—it has now started clearing some of these applications. Recent trade data shows promising signs, with India's goods exports in November jumping 19%, aided by strong demand in markets including China.
Exports to China surged by 90% last month, with shipments to Hong Kong rising 35%. Analysts note that Indian seafood exports have particularly benefited as Beijing began restricting imports from Japan, indicating market diversification and opportunistic gains amid regional trade tensions.
