India, Feb. 19 -- As artificial intelligence transitions from technological novelty to economic necessity, a fundamental question confronts the international community: whose values will shape its development, and who will benefit from its transformative power? The ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026, at New Delhi, has emerged as a deliberate answer positioning emerging economies not as passive recipients of technology, but as active architects of an AI-driven future. The AI mantra narrative is everywhere.

This gathering represents far more than another conference on emerging technologies. It signals India's strategic ambition to reframe artificial intelligence through the lens of developing nations. At its heart lies a philosophy rooted...