AI IS A TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN HISTORY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the "AI Impact Leadership Summit 2026" at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from February 16 to 21, 2026. This marked the formal launch of one of the largest global conferences focused on artificial intelligence (AI). Delegates from over 100 countries participated in the summit.

The inaugural session was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as several prominent figures from the global industry and technology sectors. Prior to the event, Prime Minister Modi met with global leaders at the Bharat Mandapam.

Following the formal inauguration, the Prime Minister, along with other international leaders, visited the India AI Impact Expo. This exhibition features pavilions from various countries showcasing advanced AI-powered innovations and emerging technological solutions from around the world.

India's AI Impact Summit was the fourth in a series of global AI summits, following those held in Bletchley Park, Seoul, and Paris, and the first to be held in the Global South. People want the benefits of AI to be more than limited to a handful of American and Chinese companies. This summit can help create a trustworthy path for all.

OPINIONS OF THE WORLD's GREAT PERSONALITIES

At this summit, prominent personalities shared their views on the "world of artificial intelligence." OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that AI will completely transform the software industry. Google CEO Sundar Pichai described AI as the biggest change in life. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei also said that the potential of AI is unmatched by any other technology.

THE NEED TO MAKE AI A FORCE MULTIPLIER

At the India AI Impact Summit, Jeet Adani, Director of Adani Airports, said that artificial intelligence (AI) should first become a "force multiplier" for Indian citizens, not simply a means of increasing profits for others. He said this is not protectionism, but preparation; this is not isolation, but strategic maturity. India should develop and implement AI in a way that primarily benefits the country's people.

Jeet Adani further stated that three key sovereignty pillars will guide India's AI century: energy sovereignty, compute and cloud sovereignty, and services sovereignty. He emphasized that these are not merely technical concepts, but the foundations of modern nationhood, upon which India is building its digital and technological future.

DEMOCRATIZATION OF AI

OpenAI chief Sam Altman said that, given the rapidly growing influence of AI, the world needs a global regulatory framework similar to the one the IAEA uses for nuclear energy. Altman warned that centralizing AI in the hands of a single company or country could be disastrous for humanity. He said that democratizing AI is the path to human progress, but strong regulations and safeguards are also essential. According to Altman, there should be an international organization that can respond quickly to the changing nature of AI technology. Eighty-nine countries have signed a declaration laying out a voluntary set of commitments to share knowledge on AI democratization.

MANAV VISION

At the AI ​​ Summit, Prime Minister Modi presented the MANAV vision for AI.

M- Moral and ethical systems. This means that AI should be based on ethical guidance.

A- Accountable Governance

N- National sovereignty means whoever has the data, he has the right.

A- Accessible and inclusive means AI should be multiplayer, not a monopoly.

V- Valid and Legitimate.

THERE SHOULD BE AUTHENTICITY IN THE CONTENT EVEN IN THE DIGITAL WORLD.

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that even in the digital world, content must be authentic. People should know what is real and what is fake. The practice of watermarking is growing. Therefore, it is important that this trust is built into technology from the beginning. We must be more vigilant about the safety of children. Just as the school syllabus is standardized, the AI ​​space should also be child-safe and family-guided.

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who see fear in AI and those who see destiny in AI. I proudly say that we don't see fear; India sees destiny in AI, India sees a future in AI. We have talent, energy potential, and policy clarity. I am pleased to tell you that at this summit, three Indian companies launched their AI models and apps. These models showcase the talent of our youth. They also reflect the depth and diversity of the solutions India is providing.

IT IS ENHANCING HUMAN CAPABILITIES.

"AI is making machines faster, but more than that, it is enhancing human capabilities." PM Modi said that AI is not only empowering machines but also increasing human capabilities exponentially. He said that in the past, it took decades for the impact of a technology to be visible. But today, the journey from machine learning to learning machines is swift, sophisticated, and widespread. He said that the scale of this era of AI is greater than any technological revolution to date.

PM Modi gave a clear message that AI must be made human-centric, not machine-centric. The main objective of this global summit is to make it sensitive and responsive.

TODAY, INDIA HAS BECOME A HUB OF AI ENGINEERING TALENT.

Millions of AI engineers are being trained in India every year. With over 500,000 developers, India has become the second largest developer community in the world. India's AI model is different because it provides solutions for the country's vast population.

• AI services to provide agricultural advice to 200 million farmers in their own dialect
• Travel guidance for 40 crore pilgrims
• AI diagnostics systems running in rural clinics

All these are based on India's open digital public infrastructure.

In any technological revolution, four things determine which country will emerge ahead:

• Infrastructure

• Talent

• Capital (investment)

• Adoption

India is progressing rapidly on all these four fronts, and most importantly, people in India are far ahead of the world in adopting new technologies.

The French President said that no other country in the world has built a digital model like India's: a digital identity system (Aadhaar) for 1.4 billion people. The UPI network handles 20 billion digital payments per month. A health infrastructure with 500 million digital health IDs. He said that today the world recognizes it by the name 'India Stack' and it is a completely open and accessible structure for all. Macron said that India is leading the AI ​​revolution in the Global South and its digital achievements are an example for the world.

MEDIA REPORT

Media reports say that India is enthusiastic about adopting AI. Similarly, it has an optimistic approach to AI governance, but the summit announcement showed no indication of this. While another report states that the AI ​​Impact Summit 2026 was not just a summit, it was a signal, indicating that the future of research, innovation, and global responsibility is actively taking shape. India has the largest user base for AI, according to data shared by AI firms. The week-long rush was a prime indicator of how eager Indians are to embrace this technology.

From India's perspective, the summit was a significant success for business. The event sparked a wave of major investment commitments in the country, with Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnav stating that over $200 billion in investments are expected in AI and deep-tech in the country over the next two years.