NEW DELHI, February 19, 2026 — As the sun set over the iconic Bharat Mandapam today, the India AI Impact Summit 2026 reached its emotional and strategic crescendo. Billed as the first major global AI gathering hosted in the Global South, the five-day event (Feb 16–20) has transformed New Delhi into the "brain center" of the world's technological future.
Under the banner of the IndiaAI Mission, the summit has brought together over 20 heads of state, 60 ministers, and 500 global AI leaders to debate a single, unifying vision: "Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya" — Welfare and Happiness for All.
The M.A.N.A.V. Vision: PM Modi’s Human-Centric Roadmap
In his much-anticipated inaugural address on Day 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a blueprint for the ethical development of artificial intelligence. Framing AI as a "transformative chapter in human history," he cautioned that technology without direction is a disruption, but with purpose, it is a solution.
The Prime Minister unveiled the M.A.N.A.V. framework, designed to ensure humans remain the pilots of technological progress:
| Letter | Pillar | Core Definition |
| M | Moral & Ethical Systems | AI must be guided by ethical guardrails from the design stage. |
| A | Accountable Governance | Establishing transparent rules and robust oversight for developers. |
| N | National Sovereignty | Affirming data rights—"whose data, his right." |
| A | Accessible & Inclusive | Turning AI into a multiplier for the many, not a monopoly for the few. |
| V | Valid & Legitimate | Ensuring systems are verifiable, lawful, and free from bias. |
"We must give AI an open sky, but keep the command in human hands, much like a GPS," PM Modi remarked. "It shows us the way, but the final call on the direction remains ours."
Global Tech Giants Pledge Massive Investments
The summit served as a stage for major industry announcements, most notably from Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. Returning to his roots, Pichai hailed AI as the "biggest platform shift of our lifetimes."
Key Announcements from Google:
Vizag AI Hub: A landmark $15 billion investment to establish a full-stack AI hub in Visakhapatnam, featuring gigawatt-scale compute power.
America-India Connect: A new strategic subsea cable project linking India directly to the U.S. and the Southern Hemisphere.
Project Karma Yogi: A massive skilling initiative to train 20 million public servants in AI tools.
GenAI in Schools: Rolling out generative AI assistants to 10,000 schools via the Atal Tinkering Labs.
OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei also shared the stage, with Altman positioning India as a "full-stack AI leader" due to its unique combination of massive data sets, young talent, and a "willingness to adopt" that outpaces the West.
The AI Impact Expo: "Made in India" on Display
Spanning 70,000 square meters, the AI Impact Expo showcased the practical application of these high-level discussions. Highlights included:
Agriculture: AI models predicting monsoon patterns to help millions of farmers protect their crops.
Health: The Ayush Pavilion demonstrating how ancient traditional medicine is being integrated with AI for personalized wellness.
Deepfakes & Safety: Calls for industry-wide "authenticity labels" and watermarking to combat fabricated content and protect child safety.
What’s Next?
As the summit enters its final day tomorrow, the focus shifts to the formalization of the "New Delhi AI Declaration," expected to establish global standards for AI in the Global South.
