Prime Minister Modi's time-honored words about the significance of Artificial Intelligence were highlighted at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, organized at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. He emphasized that the future of Artificial Intelligence lies in a visionary path he wanted to chart from that point forward. He insisted that the technology must be "democratized" to truly serve humanity and not just allow an elite sector of society to dominate the global social ladder: it should serve the interests of everyone.
AI as a Revolutionary Era
To a near global audience of world leaders including Mr. Macron of France and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, PM Modi said AI is a “transformative chapter in human history” and likened the new AI system to fire and wireless communications. The transition from “machine learning” to “learning machines” is occurring at a scale and pace not seen, said the prime minister. While AI can help elevate human potential, if left “directionless,” it risks becoming a massive disruption, he warned. “If the right direction is found, it becomes a solution; if directionless, it becomes a disruption,” he said.
The “MANAV Vision” unveils
At the heart of the Prime Minister's speech was his release of the MANAV Vision (which means ‘human’ in Sanskrit), a five-point framework for ethical AI governance:
M - Moral and Ethical Systems: AI should be powered by human ethics.
A - Accountable Governance: Transparent rules and robust oversight are non-negotiable.
N - National Sovereignty: Data belongs to people/nation ("Whose data, his right").
A - Accessible and Inclusive: AI should be the multiplier which raises everyone's income without a monopoly.
V - Valid and Legitimate: AI systems must be lawful, verifiable, and unbiased.
Global South democratization of AI
PM Modi emphasized that AI itself will only be able to help when it is “shared by all” and “code is open for all.” He advocated human-centeredness over machine-centeredness and that "humans must not be reduced to raw material" or raw data to large language models, the idea of ML. More than that, he made India the Global South’s voice and stated ‘Affordable and scalable AI should be one of the major tools in bridging the digital divide. In the heart of the event was highlighted, as a key theme of the summit, “Welfare for all, Happiness for all Sarvajana Hitaya,” Sarvajana Sukhaya, the model to represent the future of AI in India.
Gaps on Global Standards and Protections
He said he did well in explaining the promise of AI in all areas including agriculture, health and education while advocating for now universal and coordinated global regulation to create common standards against deepfakes and fakes. He called for “authenticity labels,” and watermarking to shield the bedrock of open societies from AI-generated disinformation.
Prime Minister Modi finished by advising delegates that the question is not what AI can be used for in the future but rather what humans wish to do with AI today. This vision to enable every citizen is evident in the AI revolution and India is a leader in this transformation, believing through skilling, reskilling, and human-centric policy, India can change itself into an empowering country where this technology will empower everyone.
