New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that hosting the India AI Impact Summit 2026 is a moment of pride not only for India but for the entire Global South. Addressing delegates in New Delhi, he described the gathering as a landmark event in the global conversation on artificial intelligence and underscored India’s growing influence in shaping the future of emerging technologies.
Modi stated that Bharat, home to one sixth of humanity, stands at the centre of the world’s largest technology talent pool. He said India’s leadership in digital public infrastructure, combined with its deep reservoir of skilled professionals, positions the country as a natural hub for AI driven innovation. The organisation of such a summit in India, he added, signals the increasing role of developing nations in global technology governance.
Emphasising the broader impact of artificial intelligence, the Prime Minister said AI is not merely about enhancing machine intelligence but about expanding human potential on an unprecedented scale. Unlike earlier technological revolutions whose effects unfolded gradually, he observed that AI is advancing at remarkable speed and scale, reshaping industries and societies far more rapidly than in the past.
Drawing a parallel with the early days of wireless communication, Modi noted that few could have predicted how profoundly it would transform global connectivity. In a similar way, he said, artificial intelligence represents a defining shift in human history. The developments being witnessed today, he suggested, are only the beginning of a much larger transformation that will influence economies, governance and everyday life across the world.
