Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled a comprehensive “MANAV” framework for artificial intelligence (AI) governance, advocating for a human-centric approach that prioritises the needs of the Global South.
Speaking at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi – a gathering of representatives from over 100 nations – Modi emphasised that AI should be a “force multiplier for human intent” rather than a tool that reduces individuals to mere data points, read a press release.
A blueprint for human values
Centrepiece of the Indian prime minister’s address was the MANAV framework, a name derived from the Sanskrit word for “human.” The framework is built on five core pillars:
- M – Moral and Ethical Systems: Establishing ethical guidelines for AI.
- A – Accountable Governance: Ensuring transparent rules and robust oversight.
- N – National Sovereignty: Respecting the rights of nations over their own data.
- A – Accessible and Inclusive: Preventing AI from becoming a monopoly.
- V – Valid and Legitimate: Requiring AI to adhere to laws and be verifiable.
Guided by the principle of “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” (Welfare for All, Happiness of All), the Prime Minister argued that AI belongs in the same league of transformative shifts as the discovery of fire and electricity.
Regional relevance: Agriculture and language
Of particular interest to neighbouring nations in the region, including Bangladesh, are India’s AI applications in agriculture and multilingual support.
The Indian prime minister highlighted “Sarlaben,” an AI digital assistant used by the dairy cooperative AMUL to provide real-time cattle health guidance to 3.6 million farmers in their own languages.
The Bharat VISTAAR platform was noted for empowering farmers with multilingual inputs ranging from market prices to weather forecasts.
These innovations follow the success of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), such as the UPI payment system, which aims to ensure no citizen is left behind by technology.
Security and the threat of deepfakes
Addressing the risks inherent in generative systems, the Prime Minister warned democratic societies of the dangers posed by deepfakes and disinformation.
He proposed a global standard for watermarking and source verification, suggesting that digital content should carry “authenticity labels” similar to nutrition labels on food. India has already moved to legally require the clear labelling of synthetically generated content.
Building a global common good
To support this vision, the Prime Minister detailed the India AI Mission, which has deployed thousands of GPUs to provide startups with affordable computing power. A national AI Repository has also been established to democratise access to datasets and models.
Concluding his address, the Prime Minister invited the international community to use India as a base for inclusive innovation.
“Design and develop in India. Deliver to the world. Deliver to humanity,” he stated, asserting that technology should be treated as a global common good rather than a guarded strategic asset.
