Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, PM Modi remarked that the world’s largest and historic AI Impact Summit is being held in India, a nation representing one-sixth of humanity. He highlighted that India is home to the world’s largest youth population, the biggest tech talent pool, and a thriving tech-enabled ecosystem. He emphasized that India not only creates new technologies but also adopts them at an unprecedented pace. The Prime Minister noted that 140 crore Indians are eager to embrace new technologies and, on their behalf, he extended a warm welcome to Heads of Governments, leaders of the global AI ecosystem, and innovators participating in the summit. He expressed gratitude for their presence and underlined that hosting this summit in India is a matter of pride not only for the country but also for the entire Global South.
Pointing out that the summit has brought together the “who’s who” of the AI world, with representation from over 100 countries and distinguished participants from across the globe, taking its success to new heights, Shri Modi highlighted the strong presence of the young generation at the summit, which he said instills new confidence. He observed that while new technologies often face initial skepticism, the speed and trust with which the youth worldwide are accepting AI, taking ownership of it, and using it, is unprecedented. The Prime Minister also remarked on the enthusiasm surrounding the AI Summit’s exhibition, particularly the large participation of young talent. He highlighted that solutions presented in areas such as agriculture, security, assistance for divyangjan, and meeting the needs of multilingual populations reflect the strength of ‘Made in India’ and showcase India’s innovative capabilities in the AI field.
Prime Minister remarked that in human history, every few centuries a turning point emerges that resets the direction of civilization. He highlighted that such moments change the pace of development and transform paradigms of thinking, understanding, and working. He observed that during such periods of transformation, the true impact is often not immediately understood. He recalled that when sparks were first generated from stones, no one imagined that the same spark would become the foundation of civilization. Shri Modi noted that when spoken language was first converted into script, no one realized that written knowledge would become the backbone of future systems. He further remarked that when signals were first transmitted wirelessly, no one could have imagined that one day the entire world would be connected in real time.
“Artificial Intelligence represents a transformation of the same magnitude as historic turning points in human civilization”, remarked Shri Modi, highlighting that what is being seen and predicted today are only the initial signs of its impact. He stated that AI is making machines intelligent, but more importantly, it is multiplying human capability many times over. The Prime Minister emphasized that the difference this time lies in the unprecedented speed and unexpected scale. He noted that earlier, the impact of technology took decades to manifest, but today, the journey from machine learning to learning machines is fast, deep, and wide. He underlined that this requires a larger vision and equally greater responsibility. Shri Modi stressed that along with the present generation, there must also be concern about the form of AI that will be handed over to future generations. He remarked that the real question is not what AI can do in the future, but what humanity chooses to do with AI in the present. Drawing parallels with nuclear power, the Prime Minister noted that humanity has witnessed both its destructive potential and its positive contributions. He asserted that AI too is a transformative power—if directionless, it leads to disruption, but with the right direction, it becomes a solution. Shri Modi highlighted that the core purpose of the Global AI Impact Summit is to deliberate on how AI can be made human-centric rather than machine-centric, and how it can be made sensitive and responsible.
Prime Minister Modi remarked that India’s vision for AI is clearly reflected in the theme of the summit— ‘Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya’—Welfare for all, Happiness of all. He emphasized that this is the benchmark for India. He cautioned that humans must not become mere data points or raw material for AI, and therefore AI must be democratized. He highlighted that AI should serve as a medium of inclusion and empowerment, especially in the Global South.
