Visitors at the India AI Impact Summit venue at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi, on Monday. PTI Photo
AI Impact summit LIVE! India stands at the forefront of AI transformation, says PM Modi
From February 16 to 20, the summit will feature over 3,250 speakers and more than 500 sessions
The world's largest artificial intelligence summit opened to packed halls and long queues on Monday (February 16) as tech moguls, industry leaders, policymakers, founders, and technologists thronged the venue for the conference, where India is set to push for widening access to AI and seek international agreement on global AI commons.
The summit offers India not just a chance to showcase its vast tech-savvy population and engineering talent but also to push for democratising AI access in Global South. Besides wider access to AI, New Delhi may also seek international agreement on 'global AI commons' or a repository of use cases for AI in key sectors that can be shared.
From February 16 to 20, the summit will feature over 3,250 speakers and more than 500 sessions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo, also interacted with invitees. The prime minister visited various stalls and spoke with the companies participating in the expo. Modi said India stands at the forefront of the Artificial Intelligence transformation and its strides in AI reflect both ambition and responsibility.
The Expo features over 600 high-potential startups and 13 country pavilions showcasing international collaboration in AI ecosystem.
With huge billboards around the city welcoming delegates, speakers and guests at the AI Impact Summit, Bharat Mandapam saw long queues much before the conference opened at 09.30 am, signalling the interest in the subject and the conference.
The enthusiasm was high despite the fact that the high-profile speakers - from Sundar Pichai of Alphabet to Sam Altman of OpenAI and Dario Amodei of Anthropic - haven't even arrived in the country. Their sessions start not before Wednesday.
Final two days big
Final two days of the Summit - February 19 and 20 - will see more than 20 heads of state and government, including France's Emmanuel Macron and Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, talking about the future of AI alongside business leaders and investors.
Panel discussions on the future of employability in the age of AI, skilling, safe and trusted AI at scale, AI governance and infrastructure, generative AI deployment, and public sector use cases drew standing-room-only audiences, with participants crowding corridors between sessions to network and exchange ideas.
An expo where the who's who of the tech industry - from Google to Nvidia, Amazon, Meta, OpenAI and Microsoft besides homegrown giants - put on display innovations on AI is held alongside. Focused on AI's transformative impact, it includes 300+ exhibitions, 13 country pavilions, and addresses themes of People, Planet, and Progress.
The UK hosted the first AI Summit in 2023 that focused on AI safety and extreme risks. The next edition in France in 2025 saw trumpeting big investments in the tech sector.
Live Updates
- 16 Feb 2026 4:26 PM IST
TN Cong chief slams party MP Manickam Tagore
TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai on Monday slammed party MP Manickam Tagore for his views on power sharing with the DMK and said no one is bigger than AICC leaders who have already asked party members to refrain from expressing their opinion in public.
Wondering why Tagore spoke about power sharing only during the upcoming Assembly election, he said the party members should avoid publicly expressing their views on alliance.
“I don’t know about it,” Selvaperunthagai replied when reporters sought his comment on Manickam Tagore’s meeting in Madurai on February 15 demanding a share in power with the ruling DMK.
The meeting of the party’s Madurai South District Congress Committee held in Tirupparankundram under the Virudhunagar MP, passed resolutions to this effect.
“As president of TNCC I strictly follow the AICC’s instructions. We have been told not to talk about alliances in public forum. Our leaders: Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal have told us not to publicly express views. I don’t know if there’s anyone bigger than these leaders in the Congress,” he said.
The Congress president said his party had already constituted the five-member committee under Girish Chodankar for holding talks with the DMK on seat-sharing.
“No one should speak their views. This is what the AICC leadership said and it is also my view,” Selvaperunthagai insisted.
On whether he would take action against Tagore, he replied, “I have been called by the party high command to discuss this and the prevailing political situation. Going against democracy and defying the high command’s instructions is wrong.''
- 16 Feb 2026 3:15 PM IST
Mandatory to appear in first board exam for class 10 students: CBSE on two board exams policy
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has clarified that it is mandatory for Class 10 students to appear in the first board exam, and those who do not attempt at least three subjects in the first edition will be placed in the "essential repeat" category, officials said.
CBSE is starting with two board exams for Class 10 from 2026.
The clarification by board comes after it received a few requests stating that, because of some reasons, Class 10 students will not be able to appear in the first board exam, hence should be allowed to appear in second board exam. "It is mandatory for all the students to appear in the first board examination. All passed and eligible students will be allowed to improve their performance in any of the three subjects out of Science, Mathematics, Social, Science and languages," said CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj.
"If a student has not appeared in three or more subjects in the first examination, then he or she will not be allowed to appear in the second examination. Such students will be placed in the "Essential Repeat" category and can take the examination only next year in the main examinations in the month of February next year," he added.
- 16 Feb 2026 2:55 PM IST
Kerala’s NSS, SNDP reaffirm opposition to women’s entry at Sabarimala
Kerala's two major Hindu caste outfits – the NSS and the SNDP Yogam – on Monday (February 16) reiterated that women of menstruating age should not be allowed entry into the Sabarimala temple, as the Supreme Court considered review petitions in the matter.Nair Service Society (NSS) general secretary G Sukumaran Nair said the organisation has not changed its stand against the entry of women of menstruating age at Sabarimala.NSS represents the forward Nair community in the state.Nair said he expects the state government to change its position and follow the traditional practice at Sabarimala of restricting the entry of women of certain age groups to the hill shrine."Even as the case is pending before the court, the state government has been following the traditions for the past five-six years. In this situation, we expect that the state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board will take a favourable stand," Nair said.On being asked whether such a stand was influenced by the upcoming elections, he said he was not interested in mixing politics with the issue.Meanwhile, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan said the organisation had earlier expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court judgment allowing women of all ages to enter the temple, which is now under review.SNDP represents the numerically strong Ezhava community, which is also opposing the entry of menstruating age at the hill shrine.Natesan recalled that widespread protests had erupted in the state following the earlier Supreme Court verdict. In November 2018, the Supreme Court permitted the entry of women of all age groups into the Sabarimala temple, triggering widespread protests across Kerala. The apex court is currently considering a batch of review petitions in the matter.The SC said that a nine-judge bench will commence final hearing on a batch of petitions relating to discrimination against women in religions and at religious places, including Kerala's Sabarimala Temple, on April 7. - 16 Feb 2026 1:56 PM IST
Women’s entry into Sabarimala moves to centre stage ahead of Kerala Assembly polls
With elections around the corner, the Sabarimala issue has once again moved to the centre of Kerala’s political discourse, as the Supreme Court prepares to hear review petitions on women’s entry into the Sabarimala temple.
On Monday (February 16), the Supreme Court said a nine-judge bench will begin hearing the issues referred in the Sabarimala review on April 7. The composition of the bench will be notified separately by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) through an administrative order.
What was once a legal and constitutional question has steadily evolved into a defining political marker that continues to test ideological commitments, electoral calculations, and the delicate balance between faith and rights in the state.
Read the full story here. - 16 Feb 2026 1:54 PM IST
12 dead in 15 days in Palwal, Haryana; water contamination suspected
At least 12 people, including five children, have died in 15 days due to acute liver-related complications at Chayansa village in Haryana’s Palwal, with preliminary findings suggesting viral hepatitis and possible water contamination.
The incident, which comes weeks after 16 people died due to water contamination in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore last month, has prompted an investigation by the health department.
According to a report in the Hindustan Times, deaths linked to jaundice were first reported on January 31 in Chayansa village, home to 5,700 people and 865 households. A day after a rapid response team reached the village, and since then, medical camps, door-to-door surveys, and screening of villagers have taken place.
Read the full story here. - 16 Feb 2026 1:53 PM IST
Mani Shankar Aiyar leaves Congress red-faced with Pinarayi praise in poll-bound Kerala
Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has handed his party an embarrassment in Kerala after publicly praising the Left government and predicting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s return to power. The remarks, made from a public stage, triggered swift distancing by the Congress high command, which clarified that Aiyar’s statements do not reflect the party’s position.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera was quick to respond, saying Aiyar has had no formal connection with the party for several years and that his comments were purely personal. Writing on social media, Khera underlined that the party does not endorse the remarks and that the Congress leadership remains committed to its political line in the state.
The controversy erupted after Aiyar spoke at the inaugural session of the “Vision 2031” international conference organised by the government of Kerala, where Vijayan was present on the dais. In a striking observation, Aiyar said he was addressing the gathering “in the presence of the chief minister who I am sure will be the next chief minister as well.”
Read the full story here. - 16 Feb 2026 1:51 PM IST
Man killed as signboard pole falls on moving car in UP's Pratapgarh
A 45-year-old man was killed after a signboard pole being erected at a petrol pump fell on his moving car in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district, police said on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday at a petrol pump in Babuganj area under the Antu police station limits when a hydra machine was being used to install the signboard pole. Additional Superintendent of Police (East) Shailendra Lal said the strap of the hydra machine snapped during the installation, causing the heavy pole to fall onto a passing car.
The driver, identified as Lal Bahadur Yadav (45), a resident of Babuganj, got trapped between the steering wheel and the seat and suffered critical injuries. Locals broke open the car door and rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the officer said. The police have taken the body into custody and sent it for postmortem examination, he added.
- 16 Feb 2026 1:49 PM IST
Expelled Congress MLA Mamkootathil appears before SIT in sexual assault case
Expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil appeared before a SIT probing alleged sexual assault cases against him in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, police said.
Mamkootathil is being interrogated by the SIT in the first sexual assault case in which he allegedly raped a woman and later forced her to terminate the pregnancy, officials said.
On February 12, the Kerala High Court granted him anticipatory bail in the case and directed him to appear before the investigating officer. As directed, he appeared before the investigating officer at the Police Club in Peroorkada here, officials said.
The court had also directed him to surrender his mobile phone and to undergo interrogation for the next three days from 10 am to 4 pm, if required. The High Court further directed that Mamkootathil shall be deemed to be under custody when he appears for interrogation to facilitate the requirements of the investigation, including undergoing medical examination or a potency test.
- 16 Feb 2026 8:16 AM IST
Bill Gates to visit Andhra today, hold discussions with CM Naidu on health, AI
Microsoft founder Bill Gates will visit Andhra Pradesh today (February 16) and hold discussions with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on expanding cooperation in health and artificial intelligence initiatives.
Gates will arrive at the state secretariat at Amaravati in the morning and meet CM Naidu, IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan briefly.
The CM has requested Gates to expand ongoing health initiatives across the state and discussions will focus on AI as well.
The Gates Foundation has already been working in Kuppam in Chittoor district on health-related projects, and the talks are expected to explore scaling up these interventions to benefit a wider population across the southern state.
Later, Gates will proceed to Real Time Governance System (RTGS) to observe the utilisation of technology in governance, followed by Naidu showcasing the system’s procedures and results.
Following these engagements at the secretariat, Gates and his team will proceed to an agricultural centre in Undavalli village in Amaravati, where he will witness the use of drones and AI technology.
- 16 Feb 2026 8:12 AM IST
Passengers protest as snag delays Air India Kochi-Kuwait flight
Passengers at Kochi airport staged a protest on Sunday (February 15) after an Air India flight to Kuwait was delayed due to technical issues.
According to a Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) spokesperson, the Air India flight scheduled to depart at 4.30 pm was unable to operate due to a technical snag, prompting protests from passengers.
The spokesperson said the technical issue was detected after the aircraft arrived at Kochi airport. The flight was reportedly rescheduled to depart at 9 am on Monday. Passengers demanded alternative arrangements following the delay.
