India stands at forefront of AI transformation: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (February 16) said India stands at the forefront of the artificial intelligence transformation and its strides in AI reflect both ambition and responsibility.

His remarks came on a day when he is set to inaugurate the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

The India AI Impact Expo 2026 will be held from February 16-20, alongside the India AI Impact Summit at the Bharat Mandapam.

Modi’s X message

In a series of posts on X, Modi said, “Bringing the world together to discuss AI! Starting today, India hosts the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. I warmly welcome world leaders, captains of industry, innovators, policymakers, researchers and tech enthusiasts from across the world for this Summit.”

“The theme of the summit is ‘Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya’ (welfare for all, happiness for all), reflecting our shared commitment to harnessing artificial intelligence for human-centric progress,” he said.

Also read: India AI Impact Summit 2026 begins in New Delhi from today: All you need to know

Modi pointed out that AI today is transforming several sectors, including healthcare, education, agriculture, governance and enterprise.

AI Impact Summit

The AI Impact Summit will enrich global discourse on diverse aspects of AI, such as innovation, collaboration, responsible use and more, he said. “I am confident that the outcomes of the Summit will help shape a future that is progressive, innovative and opportunity-driven.”

“Thanks to the 1.4 billion people of India, our nation stands at the forefront of the AI transformation. From digital public infrastructure to a vibrant startup ecosystem and cutting-edge research, our strides in AI reflect both ambition and responsibility,” the prime minister said.

Modi on Sunday pitched India as a global hub for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence, saying the country is ready to host the world's data and lead the next wave of the technology revolution.

“The tax incentives announced in the Budget are designed to accelerate investment in this space, lower the cost of building advanced facilities and position India as a globally-competitive destination for data infrastructure,” Modi said in an exclusive interview to news agency PTI.

Modi invites world data to ‘reside in India’

In a strong global-outreach message, the prime minister said, “We invite the whole world's data to reside in India!”

Also read: AI Impact Summit: AI will create more jobs than it replaces, says MeitY secretary

In the just-unveiled Budget for the financial year starting April, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced that the likes of Amazon, Google and Microsoft could receive a tax holiday until 2047 on global cloud revenues if they route foreign workloads through Indian data centres.

Also, data-centre services are now eligible for a coverage under the Safe Harbour Rules, with a margin of 15 per cent, as the Budget 2026-27 has pushed to attract AI investment, boost infrastructure and jobs, while managing competition, data protection and enforcement risks.

(With agency inputs)