Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged global technology leaders to place the aspirations and priorities of the Global South at the heart of artificial intelligence governance, warning that the scope for unethical use of AI is “limitless” without strong global safeguards. Addressing the leaders’ plenary session at the AI Impact Summit 2026, he called for coordinated international action to ensure responsible, transparent and inclusive AI development.
In his keynote address, the Prime Minister unveiled India’s comprehensive “MANAV Vision” framework for artificial intelligence — a human-centric model focused on ethical standards, accountability, safety and inclusive access. He emphasised that AI must serve humanity at scale and should not remain restricted to a handful of corporations or countries. According to him, democratising AI tools and benefits for all citizens is central to India’s long-term technology strategy.
Modi highlighted that as AI systems increasingly influence governance, business, education and healthcare, global norms must be shaped through cooperation rather than competition. He stressed that trust, fairness and accessibility should form the foundation of next-generation AI architecture.
During the summit, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, announced a massive planned investment of ₹10 lakh crore in AI and digital infrastructure. He said his group aims to transform the AI ecosystem in India much like it previously disrupted and expanded access to mobile data, making advanced technology affordable and widely available.
Meanwhile, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, described India as a major force in the future of artificial intelligence innovation. He noted that India’s talent base, scale of digital adoption and startup ecosystem position it to exert significant global influence on how AI technologies evolve and are governed.
The summit brings together policymakers, industry executives, researchers and startup founders to deliberate on AI regulation, cross-border cooperation and real-world deployment, with a strong focus on inclusive and responsible innovation.
