“Artificial Intelligence marks a transformative chapter in human history”: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
With a population of 1.4 billion, India’s growing importance in the field of AI cannot be overlooked. It is for this reason, the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held in New Delhi from 16–20th February at the iconic Bharat Mandapam, brought together not only 22 Heads of State/Government but also policy makers, tech tycoons, and innovators. The fourth in a series of such summits – Bletchley Park (UK, 2023), Seoul (2024), and Paris (2025) – its magnitude was unmatched with 100+ participating countries, 500+ sessions, 3,250+ speakers and 300+ exhibitors.
Amongst the many prominent political figures attending the event were French President Emmanuel Macron, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The bigwigs of the tech industry included Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries.
M.A.N.A.V. Vision
Inaugurating the Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that India’s vision for AI is ‘Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya’ (Welfare for All, Happiness of All).
To translate this vision into action, PM Modi presented MANAV, the Hindi word for “human”, which serves as an acronym representing five core principles for human-centric AI governance: M – Moral and Ethical Systems: AI should be based on ethical guidelines; A – Accountable Governance: Transparent rules and robust oversight; N – National Sovereignty: Respect for national rights over data; A – Accessible and Inclusive: AI should be a multiplier, not a monopoly; V – Valid and Legitimate: AI should be lawful and verifiable.
Major Investment Announcements
Significant investment commitments across the AI value chain which were announced during the Summit include the following:
- Over USD 200 billion in AI-related investments are expected across infrastructure, foundation models, hardware and applications.
- Reliance Industries pledged USD 110 billion over seven years towards AI-focused infrastructure.
- Tata Group & OpenAI announced a partnership to scale AI-ready data centres.
- Adani Enterprises announced plans to invest USD 100 billion by 2035.
- General Catalyst announced a USD 5 billion investment commitment over five years, while Lightspeed Venture Partners announced USD 10 billion in investments.
- Google announced investments including new India–US subsea cable routes and a USD 15 billion AI hub in Andhra Pradesh; support for AI innovation and digital skills development.
- Larsen & Toubro joined Nvidia to build one of India’s largest AI computing facilities.
Adoption of New Delhi Declaration
Endorsed by 92 countries and international organisations, the India AI Impact Summit 2026 Declaration set a shared global vision for an equitable, ethical, and inclusive AI. Inspired by the motto “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya”, it lays out a comprehensive framework built on seven key pillars, including democratising AI resources, utilising AI for economic growth and social good, ensuring secure and trusted AI, expanding AI in science, enabling social empowerment, developing human capital, and building resilient and energy-efficient systems.
The Legacy of the Summit
The Summit truly democratised AI. Unlike prior global AI gatherings confined to small rooms of CEOs and experts, it brought students, youth and common citizens into the conversation — providing them with direct access to the world’s leading AI thinkers. This inclusive outreach is the defining legacy of the AI Impact Summit 2026, promoting fresh and innovative ideas.
India in the Global AI Spotlight
India brings unparalleled scale and energy to everything it does and this Summit was no exception. With the presence of world leaders, major technology companies, and innovative startups, the event clearly demonstrated the country’s capability to convene global conversations on the future of technology.
Hosting one of the world’s largest youth populations and technology talent driven by its diversity, democracy and demographic dynamism, India’s energy capacity and policy clarity uniquely position it to harness AI’s full potential.
