India stepped decisively onto the global artificial intelligence stage with the India AI Impact Summit 2026, inaugurated by Narendra Modi on 19 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. More than a technology conference, the summit signalled India’s ambition to shape a human-centric, ethical, and inclusive global AI order.
On the eve of the summit, the Prime Minister welcomed world leaders participating in the event and held several bilateral meetings, underlining the diplomatic and strategic importance India attaches to AI governance.
A Global Gathering with India at the Centre
The Opening Ceremony on 19 February brought together an extraordinary line-up of global leadership, including the President of France Emmanuel Macron, Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, and top industry leaders from across the world.
More than 500 global AI leaders participated, including CEOs, founders, academicians, researchers, policymakers, CTOs, philanthropists, and over 20 Heads of State and Government—making it one of the most significant AI gatherings ever hosted by India.
The Theme: Welfare for All, Happiness for All
The summit’s theme – सर्वजन हिताय, सर्वजन सुखाय (Welfare for All, Happiness for All) – captures India’s distinctive AI vision. Unlike purely market-driven approaches, India positions AI as a public good, meant to advance humanity rather than deepen inequalities.
Seven Working Groups anchored the summit under three broad pillars – People, Planet, and Progress – focusing on:
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AI for economic growth and social good
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Democratizing AI resources
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Inclusion and social empowerment
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Safe and trusted AI
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Human capital
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Science
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Resilience, innovation, and efficiency
What India Wants from the AI Summit
At the Leaders’ Plenary, Prime Minister Modi outlined clearly what India seeks from the global AI transition:
1. A Human-Centric Global AI Ecosystem
The Prime Minister stressed that AI must enhance human well-being, not replace human values. Drawing from Lord Buddha’s teaching –“Right Action comes from Right Understanding”- he urged nations to ensure AI decisions are timely, ethical, and rooted in compassion.
2. Centrality of the Global South
India wants the priorities of the Global South at the heart of AI governance. Modi cautioned that while past technologies often widened global divides, AI must now be accessible to all, preventing a future where advanced AI is concentrated in a few countries or corporations.
3. Ethics Without Limits
Highlighting that unethical behaviour in AI can be unlimited in scale, the Prime Minister argued that ethical norms must also be unlimited. He reminded AI companies that profit must align with purpose and that technology carries moral responsibility.
4. Three Pillars for Ethical AI
To ensure responsible AI use, India proposed:
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A trusted global data framework that respects data sovereignty
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Transparent, verifiable “glass box” safety rules instead of opaque black-box systems
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Embedding human values directly into AI design and deployment
These, Modi argued, are essential to prevent scenarios where AI systems pursue narrow goals at the cost of humanity.
India’s Own AI Credentials
India did not speak only in ideals – it showcased action. Under the India AI Mission, the country already has 38,000 GPUs, with 24,000 more to be added soon. Indian startups are being provided world-class computing power at affordable costs.
Through AIKosh, India’s National Dataset Platform, over 7,500 datasets and 270 AI models have been made available as national resources, reinforcing India’s belief that AI knowledge should be shared, not hoarded.
AI as a Shared Global Resource
Concluding his address, Prime Minister Modi declared that AI is a shared resource for the welfare of humanity. India’s vision is not to dominate AI, but to democratise it, using innovation to strengthen inclusion, protect the planet, and reinforce human trust.
As the India AI Impact Summit 2026 demonstrated, India wants a future where technology serves humanity, ethics guide innovation, and global cooperation ensures that AI becomes humanity’s greatest opportunity, not its greatest risk.
