New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, positioning artificial intelligence as a civilisational turning point and outlining India’s governance blueprint for the fast-evolving technology.
“Artificial Intelligence marks a transformative chapter in human history,” Modi said, urging the global community to ensure that AI remains human-centric and aligned with the larger goal of “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya” — welfare for all.
The summit, which has drawn participation from over 100 countries and more than 20 Heads of State and Government, including French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to anchor India’s role in shaping global AI norms.
M.A.N.A.V. framework for AI governance
At the heart of the Prime Minister’s address was the unveiling of the M.A.N.A.V. vision — an acronym for Moral and Ethical Systems, Accountable Governance, National Sovereignty, Accessible and Inclusive, and Valid and Legitimate.
The framework stresses ethical guardrails, transparent oversight, data sovereignty and lawful, verifiable AI systems. Modi underlined that AI must not turn humans into “mere data points,” advocating democratisation of the technology, particularly for the Global South.
Drawing parallels with nuclear energy, he cautioned that AI’s transformative potential could either disrupt or deliver solutions depending on the direction set by policymakers and innovators.
AI as growth multiplier
Modi argued that AI would redefine the future of work, ushering in an era where humans and intelligent systems “co-create, co-work and co-evolve”. While acknowledging uncertainties around job displacement, he said new high-value and creative roles would emerge, provided skilling and reskilling are scaled up.
He also called for transparency standards to tackle deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation, proposing authenticity labels and watermarking for digital content.
India’s pitch: Design in India, Deliver to the World
Highlighting India’s demographic advantage and technology base, Modi said the country is building a resilient ecosystem spanning semiconductors, quantum computing, secure data centres and a dynamic startup landscape. He invited global firms to “Design and Develop in India. Deliver to the World. Deliver to Humanity.”
The summit, structured around seven working groups aligned with the pillars of People, Planet and Progress, is expected to produce outcome-driven recommendations on economic growth, AI inclusion, safety, human capital and innovation.
With over 500 global AI leaders, industry CEOs, academicians and policymakers in attendance, India is seeking to move beyond being a participant in the AI revolution to becoming a rule-shaper in the global governance architecture.
For India Inc., the message was clear: AI is not merely a technology shift, but a structural growth opportunity — provided trust, transparency and inclusion remain at its core.