At a decisive moment in Human History, the world came together at the 2026 AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. For us in India, it was a moment of immense pride and joy to welcome heads of state, heads of government, representatives and innovators from around the world.
India brings scale and energy to everything it does, and this summit was no exception. Representatives from more than 100 nations gathered. Innovators introduced cutting-edge AI products and services. There were thousands of young people in the exhibition halls, asking questions and visualizing possibilities. Your curiosity has made this the largest and most democratized AI summit in the world. I see this as an important moment in India’s development trajectory, because it really kicked off a mass movement towards innovation and adoption of AI.
The History of Humanity has witnessed many technological transformations that have altered the course of civilization. Artificial Intelligence belongs to the same category as fire, writing, electricity and the internet. However, with AI, changes that previously took decades to implement can unfold in weeks and have repercussions across the planet.
AI is making machines intelligent, but it is above all a multiplier of human intent. Centering AI on the human, rather than the machine, is fundamental. At this Summit, we place human well-being at the center of the global conversation on AI, in line with the principle of Everyone is happy, everyone is happy (Welfare for All, Happiness for All).
I have always believed that technology should serve people, not the other way around. Whether in digital payments through the Single Payments Interface (UPI) or vaccination against Covid, we ensure that the Digital Public Infrastructure reaches everyone, leaving no one behind.
I could see the same spirit at the summit, in the work of our innovators in areas such as agriculture, security, assistance for people with disabilities (Divyangjan), and tools for multilingual communities.
There are already examples of the enabling potential of AI in India. Recently, Sarlaben, an AI-powered digital assistant launched by Indian dairy cooperative AMUL, is providing real-time guidance in their mother tongue to 3.6 million dairy farmers, mostly women, on livestock health and productivity.
Similarly, an AI-based platform called Bharat VISTAAR makes multilingual information available to farmers, empowering them with a myriad of information, from weather to market prices.
Human beings can never become mere data points or raw materials for machines. On the contrary, AI must become a tool for global good, opening new doors of progress for the Global South. With the aim of translating this vision into action, India presented the framework MANAV towards human-centred AI governance.
M – Moral and Ethical Systems (Moral and Ethical Systems): AI must be based on ethical guidelines.
A – Responsible Governance (Accountable Governance): transparent rules and robust supervision.
N – National Sovereignty (National Sovereignty): data does not override respect for national rights.
A – Accessible and Inclusive (Accessible and Inclusive): AI should not be a monopoly.
V – Valid and Legitimate (Valid and Legitimate): AI must comply with laws and be verifiable.
MANAVwhich means “human,” offers principles that anchor AI in human values in the 21st century.
Trust is the foundation upon which the future of AI rests. As generative systems fill the world with content, democratic societies face risks from deepfakes and disinformation.
Just as foods have nutritional labels, digital content must have authenticity labels. I call on the global community to come together in creating shared standards for digital marking (watermarking) and origin verification. India has already taken a step in this direction by legally requiring clear labeling of synthetically generated content.
The well-being of our children is an issue that is close to our hearts. AI systems must be designed with safeguards that promote responsible, family-oriented engagement, reflecting the same care we give to education systems around the world.
Technology provides greater benefits when it is shared, rather than stored as a strategic asset. Open platforms can help millions of young people contribute to making technology safer and more human-centered. This collective intelligence is Humanity’s greatest strength. AI must evolve as a global common good.
We are entering an era where humans and intelligent systems will co-create, co-work and co-evolve. Entirely new professions will emerge.
When the internet began, no one could imagine the possibilities. It ended up creating a huge number of new opportunities and the same will happen with AI.
I am confident that our empowered young people will be the real drivers of the AI era. We are encouraging upskilling, reskilling and lifelong learning by running some of the largest and most diverse upskilling programs in the world.
India has one of the largest youth populations and technology talent in the world. With our energy capacity and policy clarity, we are uniquely positioned to harness the full potential of AI. At this summit, I was proud to see Indian companies launch indigenous AI models and applications, reflecting the technological depth of our young innovation community.
To drive the growth of our AI ecosystem, we are building a solid infrastructure foundation. As part of India’s AI Mission, we have made thousands of Graphics Processing Units available and are ready to do so again soon. By accessing world-class computing power at highly affordable costs, even the smallest startups can become global players.
Additionally, we have established a National AI Repository, democratizing access to datasets and AI models. From semiconductors and data infrastructures, to dynamic startups and applied research, we are investing in the entire value chain.
India’s diversity, democracy and demographic dynamism provide the right environment for inclusive innovation. Successful solutions in India can serve Humanity anywhere in the world.
This is why our global invitation is: Design and develop in India. Make it available to the world. Make available to Humanity.
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