AI summit is a ‘turning point’ in use of tech, says PM Modi

The India AI Impact Summit “proved to be a turning point in the trajectory of how the world will utilise the power of AI in the future”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday (February 22, 2026), adding that global leaders were impressed by India’s progress in the domain.

In his Mann ki Baat address, Mr. Modi — who met global leaders and tech CEOs and showed them India’s innovations — said leaders from many countries and industries, innovators, and people from the start-up sector came together at the summit.

Eighty-five countries and three international organisations signed the New Delhi Declaration. “Guided by the principle of ‘Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya’ [Welfare for all, Happiness for all], the Declaration underscores that the benefits of AI must be equitably shared across humanity,” the government had said about the declaration.

Mr. Modi said world leaders were impressed by two exhibits at the venue. The first one showed how use of AI helped people in the treatment of animals, and how farmers tracked their livestock with 24×7 assistance.

The second product was related to Indian culture and heritage. Mr. Modi said leaders were amazed at how with the help of AI, India is preserving ancient texts, knowledge, manuscripts and adapting them in accordance with today’s generation. “At the India AI Impact Summit, world leaders were impressed by these AI breakthroughs,” he said.

The AI summit, which ended in Delhi on Friday (February 20), attracted five lakh footfalls. The Prime Minister said the world saw the country’s amazing capabilities in AI when India launched three homegrown AI models.

With technology entering our lives like never before, Mr. Modi urged people to remain vigilant against online financial fraud and digital arrests. He appealed for complete KYC compliance saying it is crucial for the safety of an individual’s bank account.

Highlighting the significance of organ donation, Mr. Modi noted how 10-month-old Aalin Sherin Abraham from Kerala saved lives even in death. “Even amid such profound pain, Aalin’s father Arun Abraham and mother Sherin decided to donate Aalin’s organs. This single decision reveals the expanse of their thinking and the magnitude of their personality… Aalin is no longer with us, but her name has joined the ranks of the nation’s youngest organ donors,” he said.

“Like Aalin from Kerala, there are many people who have given a second life to someone through organ donation. For example, Lakshmi Devi from Delhi,” said Mr. Modi. She traveled to Kedarnath last year and trekked 14 km after a heart transplant. Similarly, Gaurang Banerjee from West Bengal has been to Nathu La twice after a lung transplant. Ramdev Singh of Sikar, Rajasthan, underwent a kidney transplant and is now excelling in sporting activities.

In the backdrop of the Opposition’s allegations that the India had compromised the interests of farmers during trade negotiations with the U.S., Mr. Modi said farmers were not just food providers, but true “devotees” of the earth. He highlighted how farmers are blending tradition with technology and cited the example of Hirod Patel in Odisha who has installed a mesh over a pond and is growing vegetables on it. He said in Kerala’s Thrissur, 570 varieties of rice are grown in a single field.

“Today, India has become the world’s largest rice producer… agricultural products are now reaching foreign countries more easily by air. Nanjangud bananas from Karnataka, Mysuru betel leaves, and Indi lemons were exported to the Maldives,” he said.

The Prime Minister also addressed students who are appearing for examinations and greeted people on Ramzan and the upcoming Holi festival. He urged them to buy made-in-India products.

He spoke about the ongoing T20 World Cup and said many players of Indian origin were representing countries such as Canada, United States, Oman, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, and Italy. “Wherever Indians go, they remain connected to the roots of their motherland and contribute to the development of their karambhoomi, the country they live and work in,” he said.