Delhi gears up for ‘AI Impact Summit’

New Delhi: With Delhi set to host the ‘AI Impact Summit’, Public Works Department (PWD) has planned an extensive revamp of the areas around Bharat Mandapam, IGI airport and major tourist hubs across the city, officials said on Thursday.

The Delhi government has instructed the PWD and other civic bodies to ensure that arrangements for the international event transcend the standards set during the G-20 Summit.

“The Delhi chief secretary has directed that all the arrangements, including security, traffic, movement of dignitaries, cleanliness, road conditions, signage, lighting and preparations at important tourist areas and markets likely to be visited and a revamp plan has been prepared,” a PWD official said.

The international summit will be held from February 15 to 20, with Bharat Mandapam selected as the venue for the main inauguration summit scheduled on February 19, in addition to several bilateral meetings.

“During the summit, various heads of state, foreign delegates, leadership of prominent international organisations and AI leaders, including CEOs of top AI companies, along with their families, are expected to visit Delhi. The arrangements for the summit should be of a standard better than those made during the G-20 summit,” the plan stated.

The action plan prioritises the maintenance of PWD roads and footpaths by addressing potholes, fixing missing signage, damaged grilles, improving and repairing central

verges, and eliminating dark spots to improve safety and infrastructure quality.

PWD, the main road-owning agency in the national capital, has been given the areas around Bharat Mandapam, where pre-event activities and bilateral engagements will be done around Hyderabad House, Vigyan Bhawan, Ambedkar Bhawan, Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, all five major five-star hotels, and Rajghat.

In addition, roads leading to prominent tourist locations such as Qutub Minar, Lal Quila, Humayun Tomb, Connaught Place, Central Park, Delhi Haat and Mehrauli Archaeological Park will also be revamped.

To coordinate with other departments, a control room has also been set up at the PWD headquarters with a nodal officer to oversee the arrangements for the summit.