Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed the need to democratise Artificial Intelligence (AI), stating that the technology must become a tool for inclusion and empowerment, especially for the Global South.
Inaugurating the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said the world is entering an era where humans and intelligent systems will co-create, co-work, and co-evolve. He highlighted that AI will make work smarter, more efficient, and more impactful.
Calling for a collective resolve to harness “AI for Global Common Good,” Mr Modi said India sees AI not only as an opportunity but as the blueprint of tomorrow. He emphasised that India rapidly adopts new technologies and is home to the world’s largest tech talent pool.
M.A.N.A.V. Vision for AI
The Prime Minister unveiled India’s M.A.N.A.V. vision for AI — Moral and Ethical Systems, Accountable Governance, National Sovereignty, Accessible and Inclusive framework, and Valid and Legitimate use. He asserted that this vision would play a crucial role in ensuring AI-driven development benefits humanity in the 21st century.
Drawing parallels with nuclear power, Mr Modi noted that AI, like nuclear technology, can be transformative if directed responsibly. “AI must be given an open sky, but command must remain in human hands,” he said, stressing the importance of ethical governance and shared development through open code.
Global Standards and Digital Trust
Highlighting the risks posed by deepfakes and fabricated content, the Prime Minister called for global AI standards, including watermarking and authenticity labels for digital content. He compared it to nutrition labels on food products, saying such measures are essential to maintain trust in open societies.
He also underlined the importance of child safety in the AI ecosystem, stating that AI platforms must be curated responsibly, just like school syllabi.
India as a Global AI Hub
Mr Modi noted that India is building a resilient technology ecosystem spanning semiconductors, chip-making, quantum computing, secure data centres, and a robust startup landscape. He said India’s diversity, demography, and democracy make it an ideal testing ground for scalable AI solutions.
Inviting global collaboration, he said: “Design and Develop in India, Deliver to the World, Deliver to Humanity.”
Global Leaders Back Inclusive AI
French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted India’s massive digital infrastructure, noting its digital identity coverage for 1.4 billion people and a payment system processing 20 billion transactions monthly. He said AI can accelerate innovation in healthcare, energy, mobility, agriculture, and public services.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised that AI must belong to everyone and not be controlled by a handful of countries. He proposed the creation of a global AI fund to support developing nations.
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government is strengthening all five layers of the AI stack. He announced that India’s Common Compute Platform currently offers 38,000 GPUs at affordable rates, with another 20,000 to be added soon.
He also unveiled the “New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments,” focusing on evidence-based policymaking through anonymised AI usage insights and strengthening multilingual AI systems to serve diverse cultures, particularly in the Global South.
The summit marks a significant step toward shaping AI that is inclusive, development-oriented, and globally relevant.
