AI Impact Summit 2026: India will host the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi from February 16 to February 20. The five-day event will feature over 700 sessions focused on AI safety, governance, ethical use, data protection, and India's approach to sovereign AI.
Among the major highlights of the summit is "YUVAi", a global youth challenge aimed at building foundational AI awareness among students and young professionals aged 13 to 21.
The challenge received more than 2,500 applications from over 38 countries. On February 15, 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and IT announced the top 20 finalists, of which 15 teams are from India.
These finalists, selected through multiple rounds held in late 2025, will showcase their AI innovations before a global audience. Solutions demonstrating strong deployment potential and scalability will be recognised and felicitated by distinguished guests during the event.
The Top 20 finalists are applying AI across public health, agriculture, climate resilience, accessibility, smart mobility, and digital trust. Their projects include malaria detection systems, AI-powered speech assistive wearables, cervical cancer screening tools, rural telemedicine platforms, agricultural intelligence systems, livestock analytics solutions, forest fire and flood early warning systems, deepfake detection tools, and assistive technologies for the visually impaired.
The summit will be inaugurated by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. It is expected to witness participation from 15-20 heads of government, over 50 ministers, and more than 40 Indian and global CEOs. Prominent attendees include Microsoft co-founder, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Reliance Industries Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani, Biocon Group Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
YUVAi
The initiative aims to foster the right mindset and develop essential AI skills, empowering participants to become responsible innovators, creators, and users of artificial intelligence.
Prize Details
The top three student solutions will receive prize money of Rs. 15 lakh each. The next three best solutions will be awarded Rs. 10 lakh each. Additionally, two special recognition awards of Rs. 5 lakh each will also be presented.
YUVAi Global Youth Challenge Finalists
The Top 20 YUVAi Global Youth Challenge finalists are:
- MalariaX (Thailand, 13-15 years) - Multi-model AI system for rural malaria species detection
- Paraspeak (India, 16-18 years) - AI-powered wearable converting impaired speech into clear speech in real time
- Arogya AI (India, 19-21 years) - Clinical language model supporting contextual medical reasoning
- CytoScanZ (Thailand, 16-18 years) - AI-enabled cervical cancer screening and cloud diagnostics platform
- SafePath AI (India, 16-18 years) - AI-based intersection safety alert system
- AgriTech Pro (India, 19-21 years) - AI-driven crop monitoring and yield optimisation platform
- KedovoAI (India, 13-15 years) - AI-powered interactive NCERT learning ecosystem
- MooApps (Indonesia, 19-21 years) - AI-based sustainable livestock management system
- WildTrack 360 - Mission Trishul (India, 19-21 years) - Integrated wildlife and rural safety AI platform
- AgniSena (India, 19-21 years) - AI-powered forest fire early warning system
- WAYV (India, 19-21 years) - AI wearable glove enabling interactive Braille learning
- Circadian AI (United States, 13-15 years) - Smartphone-based AI cardiac abnormality detection tool
- MediCare (India, 19-21 years) - AI-driven telemedicine platform for rural healthcare
- TrustTrace (India, 19-21 years) - Multimedia AI deepfake detection platform
- AI-Driven Real-Time Climate Intelligence & Flood Early Warning System (India, 19-21 years) - Predictive flood monitoring system
- Thirdeye (India, 19-21 years) - AI perception system for real-time mobility guidance
- Hybrid Deep Neural Architecture for Dysarthric Speech Analysis (India, 19-21 years) - AI-based dysarthria detection system
- INDEX - Intelligent Neuroadaptive Diagnostic Enhancement (Thailand, 16-18 years) - AI platform for neurological screening and rehabilitation support
- Deep Learning for Sustainable Tourism in Bishnupur (India, 19-21 years) - AI-based heritage recognition and tourism platform
- Z-TRACS - Zeex Traffic Regulations Analytics & Smart City Solutions (India, 19-21 years) - AI-powered smart urban traffic management system