88 Nations Adopt New Delhi Declaration at India AI Impact Summit 2026
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 concluded with 86 countries and 2 international organisations (totalling 88 signatories) adopting the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact.
The declaration is structured around seven pillars called "Chakras": democratising AI resources, economic growth and social good, secure and trusted AI, AI for science, access for social empowerment, human capital development, and resilient/efficient AI systems.
Major signatories include the United States, the United Kingdom, and other leading economies, marking a broad global consensus on AI governance.
The summit secured investment commitments exceeding USD 250 billion in AI infrastructure globally.
Andhra Pradesh signed 7 MoUs for quantum computing and AI sectors on the sidelines of the summit.
Global AI Governance Frameworks
Artificial Intelligence governance has emerged as a critical frontier in international diplomacy. Multiple initiatives have sought to establish norms and rules for AI development, including the EU AI Act (2024), the Bletchley Declaration from the UK AI Safety Summit (2023), and the Seoul AI Safety Summit (2024). The New Delhi Declaration adds a developing-world perspective to this evolving global architecture.
The New Delhi Declaration, guided by the principle of "Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya" (Welfare for all, Happiness for all), represents India's attempt to shape global AI governance with an inclusive, development-oriented lens rather than the predominantly safety-focused approach of Western-led summits.
India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Model
India has built a globally recognized digital public infrastructure stack, including Aadhaar (digital identity for 1.4 billion people), UPI (Unified Payments Interface handling over 14 billion transactions monthly), and DigiLocker. This DPI model is now being extended to AI through initiatives like the India AI Mission.
India leveraged the summit to position its DPI-driven model as a template for democratising AI access in the Global South, with the seven-pillar declaration reflecting India's emphasis on inclusion, affordability, and social empowerment alongside safety and innovation.
India's Semiconductor and AI Ecosystem
India's ambitions in AI are closely tied to its semiconductor strategy. The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), established in 2021 with a Rs 76,000 crore corpus, has approved 10 projects across six states, with total investments exceeding Rs 1.6 trillion.
Key Details
- Tata Electronics and Powerchip are building a semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat (Rs 91,000 crore investment).
- Micron Technology's $2.75 billion ATMP plant in Gujarat is under construction.
- India joined the US-led Pax Silica framework at the same AI Impact Summit, strengthening its position in global semiconductor supply chains.
- The summit's investment commitments of over USD 250 billion signal significant capital inflows into AI and semiconductor infrastructure.
The simultaneous adoption of the New Delhi Declaration and India's entry into Pax Silica at the summit underscores a strategic alignment between India's AI governance ambitions and its hardware ecosystem buildout, positioning the country as both a rule-maker and a manufacturing hub in the AI value chain.
- 88 signatories: 86 countries + 2 international organisations adopted the New Delhi Declaration
- 7 Chakras (pillars): Democratising AI, Economic Growth, Secure AI, AI for Science, Social Empowerment, Human Capital, Resilient AI
- Over USD 250 billion in investment commitments secured
- India AI Mission: Rs 10,372 crore for computing infrastructure (10,000+ GPUs)
- India Semiconductor Mission: Rs 76,000 crore corpus, 10 projects approved
- Guiding principle: "Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya" (Welfare for all, Happiness for all)