February 17, New Delhi: As the India AI Impact Summit 2026 commenced, marking the first global AI convening of this scale in the Global South, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the summit’s guiding principle: “For the Welfare of All, For the Happiness of All” (“Welfare for all, Happiness for all”) in a special interview with ANI.
The summit brings together heads of state, ministers, global technology leaders, and industry stakeholders to discuss AI’s role in inclusive growth, strengthening public systems, and enabling sustainable development. PM Modi highlighted India’s vision for AI to accelerate global development while remaining deeply human-centric.
PM Modi stated that AI is at a critical juncture, expanding human capabilities but also testing social foundations if left unguided. The summit’s focus on impact ensures meaningful and equitable outcomes. The benefits of AI should be widely distributed rather than concentrated among early adopters, and India aims to amplify under-represented voices from the Global South.
He emphasized AI’s transformative potential for Viksit Bharat 2047, including:
Healthcare: Early detection of tuberculosis, diabetic retinopathy, epilepsy, and other ailments at primary and district health centres.
Education: AI-powered personalized learning platforms in Indian languages helping rural students.
Agriculture: The Bharat Vistaar initiative integrates AI for crop advisory, soil analytics, and weather intelligence.
Women Empowerment: Amul uses AI to reach 36 lakh women dairy farmers, providing guidance in Gujarati on cattle health and productivity.
Heritage Preservation: AI aids the digitization and interpretation of ancient manuscripts.
PM Modi said that India is using AI to dissolve divides, delivering healthcare, education, and economic opportunities to every village, district, and citizen.
On AI bias and limitations, PM Modi noted that India’s diversity requires context-specific approaches. Efforts include creating diverse datasets, regional-language AI development, and research on fairness and bias.
He highlighted that India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) journey, including Aadhaar and UPI, offers lessons for the Global South. The convergence of DPI and AI is the next frontier for inclusive development, ensuring that AI serves humanity rather than replacing it.
