Why Did NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Cancel His Visit to India AI Impact Summit 2026?

Mumbai, February 15: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has cancelled his highly anticipated visit to India for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, citing "unforeseen circumstances." The chipmaking giant confirmed on Saturday that while Huang will not be traveling to New Delhi, a senior leadership team will represent the company at the event. Huang was originally scheduled to be a marquee speaker and was expected to deliver a keynote address on the summit's flagship "Leaders' Day."

The five-day summit, scheduled from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, remains one of the largest global gatherings focused on artificial intelligence in the Global South. Despite Huang’s absence, NVIDIA reiterated its "deep commitment" to India's burgeoning AI and semiconductor ecosystem. The company announced that Executive Vice President Jay Puri will now lead the delegation, engaging with local researchers, startups, and developers building the nation’s digital infrastructure. Jensen Huang Mandates AI Automation as Nvidia Deploys OpenAI Codex to 30,000 Engineers Globally.

Why Did Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Cancel?

While the tech community was eagerly awaiting Huang's insights on India's role as an "AI factory," NVIDIA has maintained a brief stance on the withdrawal. In its official communication, the company attributed the cancellation to "unforeseen circumstances" that prevent the CEO from traveling at this time.

No further specifics regarding the nature of these circumstances, whether they are personal, health-related, or due to urgent business developments, have been disclosed. Such last-minute pivots by high-profile CEOs are often linked to sudden shifts in global corporate strategy or pressing domestic priorities at the company's headquarters. Nvidia’s USD 100 Billion Investment Plan in OpenAI Has Stalled Amid Internal Doubts and Strategic Concerns: Report.

To ensure the company's presence at the high-stakes summit, NVIDIA is sending a senior-level delegation to fulfill its commitments. This team will focus on celebrating India’s AI researchers and the various partners currently building the nation’s AI infrastructure.

Jay Puri, NVIDIA’s Executive Vice President of Worldwide Field Operations, will spearhead these efforts. His presence is intended to reassure the Indian government and private sector partners, including the Tata Group and Reliance Industries, that NVIDIA’s collaborative projects in the country remain on track.

The India AI Impact Summit is organized around the pillars of People, Planet, and Progress, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to inaugurate the event. Huang’s absence is a notable shift for the "Leaders' Day" lineup, which aims to establish a global consensus on AI governance.

However, the event continues to host an impressive roster of tech leaders, including representatives from OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic. Discussions will proceed as planned regarding "Sovereign AI," ethical guardrails, and the democratization of computing resources for the Global South.

Context: NVIDIA’s Growing Footprint in India

This cancellation comes at a time when NVIDIA is aggressively expanding its footprint in India. During his previous visit in late 2024, Huang met with Prime Minister Modi to discuss the "AI sovereign" initiative, emphasizing that India should not only export software but also manufacture its own artificial intelligence.

NVIDIA currently has over 10,000 employees in India and several engineering centers across major cities. While Huang’s physical absence is a missed opportunity for direct engagement, industry analysts suggest that the underlying business momentum between NVIDIA and India's tech sector remains robust.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2026 08:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).