Sam Altman plans India visit in mid-February as global AI leaders gather in New Delhi

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman is planning to visit India in mid-February, marking his first trip to the country in nearly a year, according to people familiar with the matter, as reported by CNBC-TV18.

The visit is expected to coincide with the India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to be held in New Delhi between February 16 and 20. The summit is set to emerge as a major global AI gathering, with senior executives from Nvidia, Google, Meta and Anthropic expected to attend, alongside Indian policymakers and business leaders.

Sam Altman is not currently listed as a confirmed speaker at the summit. However, sources said he is expected to be in New Delhi during the summit window and is likely to take part in a series of closed-door meetings on the sidelines.

OpenAI is also planning to host an invitation-only event in New Delhi on February 19, bringing together venture capitalists and senior industry executives, one person familiar with the matter informed. The visit has not been publicly announced and plans remain subject to change.

The summit week is shaping up as a focal point for global AI engagement with India. Anthropic is set to host a developers’ day in Bengaluru on February 16, while Nvidia is expected to hold a private event in New Delhi during the same week. Several other US technology companies are also planning side events, underlining India’s growing importance as a market for enterprise AI adoption, developers and startups.

Sam Altman last visited India in February 2025. He had earlier indicated plans to return later that year following OpenAI’s announcement of a New Delhi office, though that trip did not materialise.

The proposed visit comes as India continues to gain strategic importance for US AI companies. Google and Microsoft have announced multi-billion-dollar investments to expand AI and cloud infrastructure in the country, while Anthropic recently opened an office in Bengaluru. OpenAI has also been expanding its presence in India, hiring across enterprise sales, technical deployment and legal roles, with openings in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

As per CNBC-TV18 report, sources said Altman is expected to meet senior government officials, startup founders and technology executives during the visit, as OpenAI looks to deepen enterprise adoption while continuing to scale its mass-market offerings in India.