India AI Impact Summit: PM Modi unveils “MANAV” vision
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Emphasizing the significance of democratization in all walks of life, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said it is important to democratize artificial intelligence (AI) as well so that humans don’t become just a data point or limited to raw material only.
“We need to democratise AI. We need to make it a means for inclusion and empowerment, especially in the Global South…We also need to provide an open sky for AI and keep command in our hands just like GPS that suggests our route, but we take the final call on which direction we will go,” he said in the national capital while inaugurating the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
PM Modi remarked that India’s vision for AI is clearly reflected in the theme of the summit — Welfare for All, Happiness of All—and emphasised that this is the benchmark for India.
He unveiled India’s ‘MANAV’ vision for AI, setting out a human-centric framework for the responsible use of AI.
Addressing global leaders, he said the approach is designed to ensure that technological progress remains aligned with ethical values and public trust.
What is ‘MANAV’ vision?
Explaining the MANAV concept, PM Modi said it an acronym for five guiding pillars: ‘moral and ethical systems’, ‘accountable governance’, ‘national sovereignty’, ‘accessible and inclusive technology’ and ‘valid and legitimate systems’. These principles together define how India envisions the future of AI in a way that prioritises humanity, he added.
“The…MANAV vision says M- moral and ethical systems: AI should be based on ethical guidance; A- accountable governance means transparent rules, robust oversight; N- national sovereignty means whose data; A- accessible and inclusive, means AI should be a multiplier, not a monopoly; V- valid and legitimate, means AI should be lawful and verifiable,” PM Modi said.
“The MANAV vision will become an important link for the welfare of humanity in the AI-based world of the 21st century,” he added.
Human-AI collaboration
PM Modi said the world is entering a new phase where humans and intelligent technologies will increasingly work together. “We are entering an era where humans and intelligent systems co-create, co-work and co-evolve,” he said.
While AI is making machines smarter, its larger impact lies in expanding human abilities. “AI is making machines intelligent, but more than that, it is increasing human capabilities manyfold,” he added.
PM Modi also pointed out that technological transformations are happening at an unprecedented pace. “Earlier, the impact of technology used to take decades to be visible. Today, the journey from machine learning to learning machines is faster, deeper and wider than ever,” he said.
Future of work
On employment and economic shifts, PM Modi said the direction of AI-driven work will depend on human choices and policy decisions. “The future of work in AI is not predefined. It will depend on our decisions, our course, and course of action. I believe the future of work is a new opportunity for us. This is the era of humans and intelligent systems working together,” he said.
Highlighting broader governance challenges, he called for global cooperation to ensure responsible use of AI. “Let us pledge to develop AI as a global common good. A crucial need today is to establish global standards. Deepfakes and fabricated content are destabilising the open society,” he said.
Digital content should carry authenticity markers to help users distinguish real material from AI-generated outputs. “As AI creates more text, images, and video, the industry increasingly needs watermarking and clear-source standards. Therefore, it is crucial that this trust is built into the technology from the start,” PM Modi said.
