Last Updated on February 19, 2026 12:18 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
A R DAS / NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India not only develops new technology but also adopts it rapidly. Inaugurating the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi this morning, Mr Modi said, India is the centre of the world’s largest tech pool. He said, it is a matter of pride for the India and the Global South that the AI summit is being organised in New Delhi.
The Prime Minister said, Artificial Intelligence marks a transformative chapter in human history. He said, in the course of human history, there have been certain turning points that shaped entire centuries. Mr Modi said, these turning points set the direction of civilisation and transform the pace of development. He said, AI is making machines intelligent and at the same time, it is multiplying human capabilities many times over.
The Prime Minister said, today’s journey from Machine Learning to Learning Machine is not only rapid, but also profound and extensive. He said, therefore, we must keep the vision grand and fulfil the responsibility with equal magnitude. He added that along with the present generation, we must also be concerned about what form of AI we will hand over to the coming generations. Mr Modi stressed on democratising AI saying it must become a tool for inclusion and empowerment, particularly for the Global South.
In his address, French President Emmanuel Macron said, last year when France and India co-hosted the AI Action Summit in Paris, a global guiding principle was set for technologies that would transform the societies and the economies. He said, Artificial Intelligence will be an enabler for the humanity to innovate faster, to facilitate healthcare, energy, mobility, agriculture, and public services for the good of mankind. Mr Macron said, India built something that no other country in the world has built. He said, a digital identity for 1.4 billion people, a payment system that now processes 20 billion transactions every month and health infrastructure that has issued 500 million digital health IDs.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, AI must belong to everyone. He said, future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries. Mr Guterres called for a global fund on AI to build basic facilities in developing countries.
Welcoming the world leaders attending the summit Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the government is working on all the 5 layers of the AI stack. He added that the government treats Compute as public good. He added that Government has created a Common Compute Platform that provides access to 38 thousand GPUs at affordable rates for startups, researchers, academic institutions, and students. He further said that another 20 thousand GPUs will soon be added to the platform. Mr Vaishnaw said artificial intelligence is a foundational technology that is transforming how people work, learn, and make decisions. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes the true value of technology lies in ensuring its benefits reach the masses.
Background
The theme of India AI Impact Summit 2026 is सर्वजन हिताय, सर्वजन सुखाय i.e. welfare for all, happiness of all. It aims to position India as a leader in the field of AI and envisions a future where AI advances humanity, fosters inclusive growth, and safeguards our shared planet.
Seven Working Groups anchor the Summit, aligned to three pillars: People, Planet, and Progress. These groups will work on delivering concrete outcomes demonstrating AI’s impact across sectors. The seven themes are: AI for Economic Growth and Social Good; Democratizing AI Resources; Inclusion for Social Empowerment; Safe and Trusted AI; Human Capital; Science; Resilience, Innovation and Efficiency.
The Summit will bring together more than 500 Global AI Leaders, including CEOs/CXOs, around 100 CEOs and Founders, 150 Academicians and Researchers, and 400 CTOs, VPs, and Philanthropists. It will also engage over 100 government representatives, including more than 20 Heads of State and Government and around 60 Ministers and Vice Ministers.
