Media, Entertainment and Gaming sectors kept out of India–AI Impact Summit 2026: Stakeholders

As India prepares to host the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, billed as the first global AI summit in the Global South, key stakeholders from the media, entertainment (M&E), and gaming industries allege that they have been largely excluded from the event—despite being among the sectors most disrupted and transformed by artificial intelligence.

Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, the India–AI Impact Summit will take place on February 19–20, 2026, in New Delhi. The high-profile gathering aims to move global AI discourse from policy statements to tangible outcomes, with a strong focus on inclusive growth, people-centric innovation, and amplifying the voice of the Global South.

However, industry executives claim that the very sectors where AI is already reshaping content creation, distribution, monetisation, and audience engagement have been kept at arm’s length from the summit’s core programming and participation.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology did not comment on the query.

Broadcasters and Industry Bodies Not Invited

Multiple senior executives from television networks, digital platforms, and industry associations told this publication that neither broadcasters nor representative industry bodies from the M&E sector have been formally invited to participate in discussions, panels, or closed-door consultations.

“AI is already deciding what people watch, how content is produced, and how news is distributed. Yet broadcasters have not even been approached for dialogue,” said a senior executive at a leading television network, requesting anonymity.

Another M&E industry leader added that the exclusion undermines the summit’s stated goal of real-world impact.

“You cannot talk about AI’s impact on society while excluding the very industries shaping public discourse and culture,” the executive said. “Media and entertainment are not fringe sectors anymore—they are central to AI adoption.”

A senior executive from a digital media company echoed similar concerns. “We are deploying AI across content moderation, recommendation engines, dubbing, localisation, and advertising. Yet there is no structured representation for us at the summit,” the executive said.

An office-bearer of an industry body pointed out that the absence of M&E representation also weakens policy outcomes. “If policy frameworks are created without consulting content creators and broadcasters, they risk being disconnected from ground realities,” the executive said.

Gaming Industry Also Crying Foul

The gaming industry, one of India’s fastest-growing digital sectors and a major adopter of AI across gameplay, art generation, testing, and analytics, has also raised concerns about being sidelined.

Industry stakeholders claim that gaming companies and industry bodies have not been meaningfully included, despite repeated representations highlighting their role in AI innovation.

“Game development today is inseparable from AI—whether it’s procedural content, NPC behaviour, or player analytics,” said a senior executive from a gaming studio. “Yet the sector has been treated as an afterthought.”

Smaller game developers, in particular, say that while they have significantly entered the AI space, financial barriers at the summit’s expo have made participation nearly impossible.

According to sources, the government is charging ₹20,000 per square metre for exhibition space. For a 20-square-metre stall, the cost comes to ₹4,00,000 (₹4 lakh)—excluding logistics, branding, staffing, and technology setup.

“For a small or mid-sized studio, ₹4 lakh just for space is prohibitive,” said an independent game developer. “AI innovation is not only coming from large companies, but smaller studios are being priced out of visibility.”

Industry Left Out Despite Being Impacted Most

Ironically, executives point out that the M&E and gaming industries are among the most directly impacted by AI’s rapid proliferation—from generative content and deepfakes to automated storytelling, virtual production, and synthetic media.

While the summit aims to address AI-driven disruptions such as employment shifts, bias, and energy consumption, industry leaders argue that excluding creative sectors weakens the summit’s credibility.

“AI will redefine creative jobs, intellectual property, and cultural expression,” said an M&E executive. “Leaving the industry out of the conversation sends the wrong signal.”

A Missed Opportunity?

The India–AI Impact Summit 2026 seeks to chart a future where AI serves humanity, drives inclusive growth, and ensures that technological advancement is not concentrated in a few regions. Yet, stakeholders warn that true inclusivity cannot be achieved if entire industries are absent from the table.

As AI continues to blur the lines between technology, creativity, and commerce, industry voices are calling for greater representation, affordable access, and structured engagement—before policies are finalised without those who will be most affected by them.

For now, the silence around the exclusion of media, entertainment, and gaming industries raises questions about whether the summit’s vision of people-centric AI will fully reflect the realities of India’s creative economy.