Modi places AI at heart of India’s 2047 developed nation vision
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has positioned artificial intelligence at the centre of India’s ambition to become a developed nation by 2047, saying the technology will be critical to achieving the government’s “Viksit Bharat” goal.
“My vision is that India should be among the top three AI superpowers globally, not just in the consumption of AI but in creation,” he said in an interview with Asia News International. “Our AI models will be deployed worldwide, serving billions in their native languages. Our AI startups will be valued in hundreds of billions, creating millions of high-quality jobs.”
Modi described AI as a “civilisational inflection point” that can expand human capability but also test social foundations if left unguided.
This is reflected in the theme of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the first global AI gathering of its scale hosted in the Global South: “Welfare for All, Happiness for All.”
Modi said India’s vision is to ensure AI delivers equitable outcomes rather than narrow innovation gains. Discussions at the summit focus on governance, inclusive datasets, climate action, agriculture, public health and multilingual access.
Linking AI to the 2047 development roadmap, Modi said the technology is already being deployed in healthcare, education and farming.
He cited AI-based early detection of diseases such as tuberculosis and diabetic retinopathy at public health centres. In education, personalised learning platforms in Indian languages are supporting students in rural and government schools.
In agriculture, AI tools are being used for crop advisory, soil analysis and weather intelligence to help farmers make localised decisions.
Modi also highlighted India’s digital public infrastructure, including Aadhaar and Unified Payments Interface, as a foundation for scaling AI in public services.
On risks, he acknowledged concerns over bias, deepfakes and misuse. He called for global cooperation and stronger safeguards, including transparency, human oversight and data protection.
Ultimately, the prime minister said India’s goal is not merely to consume AI but to create it.
“Every Indian will experience AI as an enabler of opportunity, a multiplier of capability, and a servant of human dignity, not as a threat to their livelihood or an instrument of control,” Modi said.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
