The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation confirmed that Bill Gates will attend the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam and dismissed media reports claiming otherwise as inaccurate. Gates remains a key participant at the event in New Delhi, alongside prominent technology leaders such as Sam Altman and Sundar Pichai. “Bill Gates is attending the AI Impact Summit. He will be delivering his keynote as scheduled,”.
Separately, Gates on Tuesday praised Andhra Pradesh for its rapid development and highlighted how the state is accelerating growth through AI and technological innovation. After visiting Amaravati, he commended advancements in health, agriculture and education. In a post on X, he thanked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for the warm welcome and said it was encouraging to see the state leverage AI and technology to drive progress. On Monday, Gates met the chief minister and senior officials in the greenfield capital, reviewed technology-driven governance initiatives, and visited a banana orchard along the Krishna River in Undavalli village of Guntur district.
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Bill-Backed Global AI Push Debuts in Global South
The summit marks the first international AI gathering hosted in the Global South. Organisers have positioned it as a national showcase of artificial intelligence in action, bringing policymaking, innovation and large-scale deployment onto a single platform. The Expo covers 10 arenas across more than 70,000 square metres and features global technology firms, startups, academic and research institutions, Union Ministries, state governments and international partners.
Thirteen country pavilions highlight global collaboration in the AI ecosystem, with participation from Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan and several African nations. Organisers are hosting more than 300 curated exhibition pavilions and live demonstrations under three thematic “chakras” — People, Planet and Progress — to showcase AI’s transformative impact across sectors.
More than 600 high-potential startups are participating, and many are already deploying population-scale AI solutions in real-world settings. Organisers expect the Expo to attract over 2.5 lakh visitors, including international delegates, and aim to foster global partnerships and business opportunities within the AI ecosystem.
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