New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled what he called India’s “MANAV Vision for AI” at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, laying out a human-centric framework for the development and governance of AI.“Today at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, I presented the MANAV vision for artificial intelligence. MANAV means human,” he said. “M-Moral and ethical system: AI should be based on moral guidance. A-Responsible governance means transparent rules, strong supervision; N-National sovereignty means whose data, his rights. A-Accessible and inclusive means AI should be a multiplier, not a monopoly. V-Effective and legal means AI should be legal and verifiable.“This vision, he added, will serve as “an important link for human well-being in a 21st century artificial intelligence world.”
Calling for international cooperation, PM Modi said, “…let us commit to developing AI as a global common good. A critical need today is to establish global standards. Deepfakes and fabricated content are destabilizing open societies…”He believes that trust must be built into technology from the beginning. “In the digital world, content should also have authenticity labels so people know what is real and what AI has created. As AI creates more text, images and videos, the industry will increasingly require watermarks and clear provenance standards. So it’s critical to build this trust into the technology from the start.”The Prime Minister warned against reducing individuals to mere statistics. “For AI, humans are just data points. To ensure that humans are not reduced to mere raw materials, AI must be democratized. It must be a medium of inclusion and empowerment, especially in countries of the Global South. “He used a metaphor: “We must give artificial intelligence an open sky, but also put the command in our hands, just like GPS. GPS points the way for us, but which direction we should take is ultimately up to us.”He described AI as “a transformative force” and added: “If there is no direction, it becomes a disruption; if the right direction is found, it becomes a solution. How to make AI from machine-centric to human-centric… This is the basic goal of this Global AI Impact Summit. Well-being for all, happiness for all. This is our benchmark.”
