As India prepares to host a major Artificial Intelligence summit next year, a curtain-raiser event in Seattle on Friday spotlighted the gathering’s three central themes — People, Planet and Progress — with discussions on AI’s role in agriculture technology and the country’s expanding digital infrastructure.

The pre-summit session, organised by the Consulate General of India in Seattle, brought together leading technology executives from the Greater Seattle area for a roundtable featuring expert presentations. Speakers explored how AI could enhance agri-tech innovation and strengthen India’s network of data centres and digital systems, according to a press release from the Consulate.

Participants also briefed U.S. Congressman Adam Smith, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Michael Baumgartner, a member of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees, on India’s progress in AI development.

The discussions highlighted India’s “Seven Chakras” framework for global cooperation on safe and trusted AI — focusing on human capital, science, resilience, innovation and efficiency, inclusion and social empowerment, democratising AI resources, and promoting economic growth and social good.

“India AI Impact Summit 2026: Pre-Event Briefing Session hosted in Seattle! Thank US Rep. Adam Smith and US Rep. Michael Baumgartner for gracing the Pre-Summit Roundtable. Deeply appreciate presentations from Tech and AI Industry leaders underscoring the Three Sutras / Pillars of India’s AI journey: People, Planet and Progress,” the Consulate wrote on X.

The briefing at the new Chancery premises of the Indian Consulate in Seattle was the first such curtain raiser in a series of sessions being planned in the run-up to the AI India Impact Summit. Workshops and briefing sessions are being planned at leading universities in the US Pacific Northwest, as well as with leading tech and AI industry stakeholders in January 2026, the Consulate said.

The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 will be held February 19-20 in New Delhi, the first global-scale AI summit hosted in the Global South.

The summit will bring together governments, industry, academia, and startups from global capitals to translate AI’s potential into tangible outcomes for People, Planet, and Progress and reaffirm India’s vision of “AI for All”, the release said.

Meanwhile, the Consulate General of India in New York said that in the lead-up to the AI Summit in India, three flagship initiatives will be rolled out over the next two months.

The initiatives are, AI for ALL: Global Impact Challenge to identify leading AI solutions across sectors turning vision into impact; AI by HER: Global Impact Challenge to promote the scaling and adoption of women-led AI solutions to enable social impact, and YUVAi: Global Youth Challenge to showcase innovation by youth (13-21 years) while fostering AI enabled problem-solving for social good.

As a precursor to the India AI Impact Summit, the Consulate in New York last month hosted a session, ‘From Traction to Transaction: Bridging the Gap’. During the session, Consul General of India in New York Binaya Pradhan highlighted the growing India-US economic, technological and people-to-people engagement.

Addressing the event, former Union Minister and Founder and Chairperson, Alliance for Global Good, Smriti Irani had underscored India’s leadership in digital public infrastructure, startup innovation and women-led development, positioning it as a natural partner for the US in shaping an equitable and human-centric AI future.