Shaping a Human-Centric Future for AI – AI Impact Summit 2026

At a defining moment in human history, the world gathered in New Delhi for the AI Impact Summit 2026. In India, we welcomed heads of state, heads of government, delegates, and innovators from around the world with great pride and joy, writes Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his summary.

We publish the letter from Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, in its original form:

India brings scale and energy to everything it does and this Summit was no exception. Representatives from over 100 nations came together. Innovators showcased cutting-edge AI products and services. Thousands of young people could be seen in the exhibition halls, asking questions and imagining possibilities. Their curiosity made this the largest and most democratised AI summit in the world. I see this as an important moment in India’s development journey, because a mass movement for AI innovation and adoption has truly taken off.

Human history has witnessed many technological shifts that changed the course of civilisation. Artificial Intelligence belongs in the same league as fire, writing, electricity and the internet. But with AI, changes that once took decades can unfold within weeks and impact the entire planet.

AI is making machines intelligent, but it is even more a force multiplier for human intent. Making AI human-centric instead of machine-centric is vital. At this Summit, we placed human well-being at the heart of the global AI conversation, with the principle of ‘Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya’ (Welfare for All, Happiness of All).

I have always believed that technology must serve people, not the other way around. Whether it is digital payments through UPI or COVID vaccination, we have ensured that Digital Public Infrastructure reaches everyone, leaving none behind. I could see the same spirit in the Summit, in the work of our innovators in domains like agriculture, security, assistance for Divyangjan and tools for multilingual populations.

There are already examples of the empowering potential of AI in India. Recently, ‘Sarlaben’, an AI powered digital assistant launched by Indian dairy cooperative AMUL, is providing real-time guidance to 3.6 million dairy farmers, mostly women, about cattle health and productivity in their own language. Similarly, an AI-based platform called Bharat VISTAAR gives multilingual inputs to farmers, empowering them with information about everything from weather to market prices.

Humans must never become mere data points or raw material for machines. Instead, AI must become a tool for global good, opening new doors of progress for the Global South. To translate this vision into action, India presented the MANAV framework 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 not be a monopoly.

V – Valid and Legitimate: AI must adhere to laws and be verifiable.