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PM Modi's "AI for All" Vision: India Charts a New Global Course at Impact Summit 2026
Summary: PM Modi just unveiled India's visionary "AI for All" blueprint at Bharat Mandapam, setting a new global standard. Will India's "Third Way" redefine the future of AI for the world?
New Delhi | February 16, 2026 – The world converged at Bharat Mandapam today as Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the AI Impact Summit 2026, a landmark event signaling India's definitive stride onto the global AI stage. More than just a conference, it's a profound statement: India is not just adopting Artificial Intelligence; it's defining its ethical future, proposing a "Third Way" that prioritizes humanity over pure profit or blanket regulation.
The Soul of Silicon: 'Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya'
At the heart of India's AI philosophy lies the ancient Sanskrit tenet, “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” - Welfare for All, Happiness for All. This isn't merely a theme; it's the core principle of India's Inclusive Intelligence approach. Addressing global leaders, tech titans, and researchers, PM Modi articulated a vision where AI serves as a catalyst for equitable growth, not just technological advancement.
"India’s strides in AI reflect both ambition and responsibility," PM Modi stated emphatically. "With 1.4 billion people, our data diversity is our greatest strength, ensuring that AI models are trained for the real world, not just a digital bubble. We are building AI for Bharat, and by extension, for the world."
The Prime Minister’s address outlined a strategic blueprint, positioning India as the world's "AI Use-Case Capital," built on four foundational pillars:
- Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Integrating AI into existing, successful layers like UPI and ONDC to democratize access and streamline public services.
- The Startup Surge: An ambitious target of scaling from 100,000 to a million AI-driven startups by 2030, fostering indigenous innovation.
- Sector-Specific Impact: Deploying AI for predictive crop yields and AI-assisted diagnostics in rural tele-clinics, directly addressing societal needs.
- Governance Reinvention: Leveraging AI to eliminate bureaucratic friction and ensure transparent, efficient welfare distribution.
Navigating the Global AI Labyrinth: India's "Third Way"
While the European Union has leaned into stringent regulation with its AI Act, and the United States champions market-driven innovation, India is charting a distinct path: the Techno-Legal Framework based on Governance by Design.
This framework, detailed during the summit, contrasts sharply with its global counterparts:
| Feature | EU AI Act (The Regulator) | USA (The Innovator) | India (The Democratizer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Protect fundamental human rights & privacy. | Maintain global tech supremacy & security. | Inclusive development & social happiness for all. |
| Risk Model | Classification-based: (Unacceptable, High, Limited, Minimal risks). | Size-based: Focuses on models > 1026 FLOPS. | Context-based: Risk defined by impact on "People & Planet" and societal well-being. |
| Key Instrument | Hard Law (Fines up to 7% of global turnover). | Policy Guidance & Federal Procurement standards. | Techno-Legal Framework (DPI + Ethics Guidelines by Design). |
| Compute Strategy | Reliance on commercial providers. | Public-private partnerships, "National AI Research Resource." | Sovereign Compute: Subsidized access to 38,000+ GPUs for all. |
| Focus on Global South | Limited direct focus. | Limited direct focus. | Core Mission: AI for the Global South, preventing "Model Colonialism." |
India's approach isn't just about applying AI; it's about making AI equitable. By establishing the AIKosh sovereign data repository with 9,500+ datasets and developing Indigenous Foundation Models (12 in progress), India is ensuring technological self-reliance and preventing undue dependence on foreign proprietary AI.
The summit codified seven "Sutras" that serve as India’s ethical blueprint for AI development and deployment:
The 7 Guiding Sutras: Ethics Hardwired into AI
The summit codified seven "Sutras" that serve as India’s ethical blueprint for AI development and deployment:
| Principle | Technical Objective |
|---|---|
| Trust | Embedding transparency and verifiable reliability across the AI value chain. |
| People-First | Prioritizing human agency and meaningful human oversight in automated systems. |
| Innovation over Restraint | Adopting a "light-touch" regulatory stance to avoid stifling startups. |
| Fairness & Equity | Algorithmic auditing to eliminate biases, particularly for India’s diverse demographics. |
| Accountability | Clear legal liability for developers, deployers, and users based on risk profiles. |
| Understandable by Design | Mandating explainability (XAI) for high-risk AI (Justice, Health, Finance). |
| Safety & Resilience | Systems must be environmentally sustainable and resistant to adversarial attacks. |
These principles will be operationalized through "Seven Chakras" or working groups, focusing on areas from human capital development (e.g., IndiaAI FutureSkills program aiming to train 5 million professionals) to the establishment of the IndiaAI Safety Institute (AISI) for robust benchmarking.
FAQs: Decoding India's AI Ambition
Q1: What is the core philosophy behind India's AI strategy?
India's strategy is driven by "Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya" – Welfare for All, Happiness for All. It aims for "Inclusive Intelligence" where AI is a public good, accessible and beneficial to all citizens.
Q2: How does India prevent AI bias in a diverse nation?
India emphasizes "Fairness & Equity" as a core Sutra, mandating algorithmic auditing and the development of multilingual LLMs like Sarvam-1 that support over 10 Indian languages, ensuring AI is relevant and unbiased for its diverse population.
Q3: What makes India’s AI computer infrastructure unique?
India is developing a Sovereign Compute strategy, providing subsidized access to a national cluster of over 38,000 GPUs. This democratizes access to high-performance computing, empowering smaller startups and researchers.
Q4: Will India’s AI framework be restrictive for businesses?
No, the framework emphasizes "Innovation over Restraint," opting for a "light-touch" regulatory approach and "Governance by Design" rather than a blanket restrictive law. It aims to foster growth while embedding ethics.
(Source-pmo)
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