'Shaping Solutions For The World': PM Modi, Experts Hail India As Global AI Leader At Landmark Summit

Last Updated:February 16, 2026, 22:36 IST

After the inauguration, PM Narendra Modi said being amongst researchers and tech enthusiasts provided a "glimpse of the extraordinary potential of AI, Indian talent and innovation"

India was hailed as a global leader in artificial intelligence at the ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

The landmark summit, which will end on February 20, signals India’s commitment to shaping AI solutions for the global stage.

After the inauguration at New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, Modi shared moments from the event on his social media and said being amongst researchers and tech enthusiasts provided a “glimpse of the extraordinary potential of AI, Indian talent and innovation". He said India’s efforts will “shape solutions not just for India but for the world" as the nation advances its vision of Viksit Bharat.

“Inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam. Being here among innovators, researchers and tech enthusiasts gives a glimpse of the extraordinary potential of AI, Indian talent and innovation. Together, we will shape solutions not just for India but for the world!"

WHAT DID EXPERTS SAY?

The India AI Impact Summit garnered widespread praise from international experts, who view India as a global leader dedicated to using AI as a transformative force for public good and economic development.

Gabriela Ramos, former UNESCO assistant director general, lauded the summit’s focus on tangible results. She said while technology is evolving daily, the real question lies in its impact on sectors like education and healthcare.

“I feel that the AI Impact Summit is putting the emphasis on the impact. I’m very glad because we have been focusing too much on the technologies, which is great, because these technologies have capacities that are evolving by the day, either generative or agentic. Each time they do more cognitive tasks that were just reserved for humans. But this time we’re looking at the impacts.  And that’s what we need to do," Ramos said.

Praising the shift towards a human-based approach, she added: “If we apply these technologies for school, are the students learning? If we apply it for health, are the patients recovering better? I feel that this is the real question that we are now to answer here. It’s not about how we develop these technologies in a more human-based approach, but also how we deploy it and how we use it to solve our problems…"

Other experts stressed that AI must be “safe by default". Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India representative, said while it offers a “tremendous opportunity" to expand horizons for children and educators, protections and guardrails must be built in from the design phase rather than as an afterthought.

“The way that UNICEF is looking at AI, and I believe the Government of India is seeing this as well, is that AI is a tremendous opportunity to expand horizons, to open opportunities about how children can learn the type of knowledge that teachers and parents and others can have access to. At the same time, to also look at how you have to build in the protections from the beginning," McCaffrey said.

She said this sentiment aligns with India’s broader strategy of ensuring AI improves the quality of life while remaining anchored in ethical principles.

“It’s important to identify those guardrails and those regulations that governments can put in place that industry can think about as they design AI because the opportunities are huge but you have to think about the protections at the beginning… One of the things that  UNICEF is saying and advocating for with many others is that AI should be safe by default, shouldn’t be an afterthought…" she added.

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