New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled India’s ambitious “MANAV Vision for AI” at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, presenting a roadmap for a human-centered approach to artificial intelligence. Framing the initiative as a framework for ethical and inclusive AI development, the Prime Minister emphasized that technology must serve humanity while remaining aligned with ethics, accountability, and national interests.
Explaining the acronym, Modi said:
- M: Moral and Ethical Systems – ensuring AI development adheres to strict ethical standards to prevent misuse.
- A: Accountable Governance – implementing transparent rules and robust oversight.
- N: National Sovereignty – respecting data ownership and ensuring citizens’ rights over their data.
- A: Accessible and Inclusive – making AI a tool for empowerment rather than monopolization.
- V: Valid and Legitimate – ensuring AI is lawful, verifiable, and trustworthy.
The Prime Minister stressed that AI should remain a medium of human empowerment rather than reducing individuals to mere data points. “AI must be democratized to serve as a tool of inclusion, especially for countries in the Global South,” he stated, underscoring India’s intention to be a global voice for equitable AI governance.
India’s vision for AI is encapsulated in the word MANAV, which means human. pic.twitter.com/4IqFOg7YPx
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 19, 2026
Modi also addressed the urgent need to rebuild trust in digital ecosystems, warning against synthetic media, deepfakes, and manipulated content. He proposed embedding authenticity labels in AI-generated content and implementing watermarking and source-verification standards to safeguard transparency.
MANAV Framework Highlights Data Control and Citizen Rights in AI Governance
A key pillar of the MANAV Vision is data sovereignty. Modi highlighted the principle of “whose data, his right,” emphasizing India’s stance on data localization and citizen control over digital resources. Using the metaphor of GPS, he explained the need to balance innovation with direction and control: “AI must have an open sky to innovate, but the final decisions must remain in human hands.”
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Describing AI as a transformative force, the Prime Minister said, “Without direction, AI can disrupt; with proper guidance, it becomes a solution. Our goal is to shift AI from a machine-centric approach to a human-centric one, ensuring welfare and happiness for all.”
With the MANAV Vision, India seeks to influence global AI policy, focusing not just on technological advancement but also on ethical governance, inclusion, and accountability.