New Delhi, Feb 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that India is not merely participating in the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution but leading it, citing the country’s rapid technology development and adoption as he inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.
Describing AI as a transformative chapter in human history, Modi said such technological turning points shape centuries by accelerating progress and multiplying human capabilities alongside intelligent machines. He stressed that the swift shift from machine learning to “learning machines” requires a grand vision and equal responsibility, particularly regarding the AI legacy for future generations.
Calling for democratisation of AI, the Prime Minister said the technology must drive inclusion and empowerment, especially across the Global South, and termed it a matter of pride for developing nations that the summit is being hosted in New Delhi.
French President Emmanuel Macron said AI would accelerate innovation across healthcare, energy, mobility, agriculture and public services, while praising India’s digital public infrastructure such as nationwide digital identity, large-scale payments and digital health IDs.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said AI must benefit all humanity and not be shaped by a few countries, urging creation of a global AI fund to build capacity in developing nations.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said India is building all five layers of the AI stack and treating compute as a public good, with a common platform providing 38,000 GPUs at affordable rates and 20,000 more to be added soon. (Agencies)
