President Dissanayake Departs for India to Join Global Leaders at 4th AI Impact Summit in India

COLOMBO (News 1st): President Anura Kumara Dissanayake departed for India today to attend the 4th India AI Impact Summit 2026. 

Under the theme "People, Planet, and Progress," the summit gathers delegates from 45 nations to shape the future of global AI policy. 

The summit, taking place at the Bharat Mandapam convention centre in New Delhi, commenced yesterday and will continue until February 20. 

The Heads of State segment of the summit is set to begin on February 19, during which President Dissanayake is expected to deliver an address.

Leaders from 20 other nations will be attending the summit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On the sidelines of the event, President Dissanayake is also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Notable attendees include French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

Additionally, Prime Ministers and Vice Presidents from countries such as Bhutan, Spain, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland are expected to participate.

The Summit charts a path towards a future where the transformative power of AI serves humanity, drives inclusive growth, fosters social development, and promotes people-centric innovations that protect our planet. 

It also seeks to amplify the voice of the Global South, ensuring that technological advancements and opportunities are shared broadly, not concentrated in a few regions.

Previous editions of the summit were held in the United Kingdom in 2023 as the AI Safety Summit, in South Korea in 2024 as the Seoul Summit, and in last year in Paris, France, under the title “AI Action Summit.”

According to Indian media, the event will also see the participation of leading figures in the global technology sector, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Indian business magnate Mukesh Ambani reports.