Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to headline the NDTV World Summit 2026 in New Delhi on 22-23 October, continuing his participation from the previous two editions. The summit, themed 'A World Between Orders', will convene global voices from geopolitics, monetary policy, artificial intelligence, and philosophy to interrogate whether existing political and institutional frameworks are keeping pace with a rapidly shifting world order.

Who Is Attending

The two-day conclave will bring together a wide range of distinguished speakers. Confirmed participants include Swarnim Wagle, Federal Minister of Finance of Nepal; Sanjay Malhotra, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); Swami Sarvapriyananda, Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York; Nikhil Kamath, founder of Zerodha; and Mike Walsh, Futurist and AI Specialist. The organisers have signalled that several more consequential voices will be announced ahead of the event.

Theme and Agenda

The summit's theme — 'A World Between Orders' — reflects what organisers describe as the deep uncertainty of the current era, exploring whether prevailing political and institutional imagination is capable of responding to accelerating global change. Sessions will span geopolitics and global strategy, monetary policy, economics and enterprise, artificial intelligence and the future of work, spirituality and philosophy, and the evolving relationship between technology and humanity.

According to a statement from the organisers, the intent is not merely to assemble influence but to 'bring different forms of influence into conversation with one another,' spotlighting 'a wide spectrum of interdependent questions that ring the modern world.'

Building on the 2025 Edition

The 2025 NDTV World Summit, held on 17-18 October 2025, drew a rare gathering of two sitting Prime Ministers and two former Prime Ministers — Narendra Modi, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Organisers say the 2026 edition is being curated 'with the same ambition and an even wider global canvas.'

Significance and Context

The summit arrives at a moment of pronounced global realignment — from shifting US foreign policy postures and BRICS expansion to the accelerating integration of AI into economic and security decision-making. The participation of RBI Governor Malhotra adds weight to the monetary policy track, particularly given ongoing global debates about interest rate trajectories and emerging-market capital flows. Nikhil Kamath's presence signals a growing emphasis on technology entrepreneurship and India's startup ecosystem within such multilateral conversations. The event underscores New Delhi's positioning as a hub for high-stakes global dialogue.