India AI Impact Summit:88 Countries Endorse New Delhi Declaration on AI
The declaration formalises principles centred on 'welfare of all and happiness of all', reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s human-centric AI vision. The declaration was adopted at the conclusion of the summit, Vaishnaw said
By : Madhusudan Sahoo
Update: 2026-02-21 15:12 GMT
New Delhi: The week-long India AI Impact Summit 2026 concluded in New Delhi with broad international backing and major investment commitments, as the government on Saturday announced that 88 countries and international organisations had endorsed a shared global vision for collaborative, trusted, resilient and efficient artificial intelligence. The summit highlighted India’s growing role in shaping the future of AI governance and infrastructure.
In a joint statement on the summit declaration, the government said the framework was guided by the principle of “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya” (welfare for all, happiness for all), underscoring that the benefits of AI must be equitably shared across humanity. The declaration also calls for stronger international cooperation and multi-stakeholder engagement, while respecting national sovereignty and promoting accessible and trustworthy AI frameworks.
Briefing reporters on the final day, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said 86 countries and two international organisations had formally signed the declaration. Signatories included major economies such as the US, UK, Canada, China, Denmark and Germany. He said the declaration formalises principles centred on “welfare of all and happiness of all,” reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s human-centric AI vision.
The joint declaration stated: “We believe that AI’s promise is best realised only when its benefits are shared by humanity. The advent of AI marks an inflection point in technological evolution. The choices we make today will shape the AI-enabled world that future generations will inherit.”
Vaishnaw added that innovation and human capital development were key areas identified for cooperation, with participating nations agreeing to work together across these sectors. He said the scale and diversity of participation demonstrated global confidence in India’s AI approach.
The declaration, which had already secured backing from over 70 countries before the summit concluded, comes amid corporate commitments of more than $250 billion in investments in India. It reinforces India’s efforts to shape the global AI agenda, particularly for the Global South.
The government noted that earlier summits, including one in Paris, had failed to achieve consensus. While greater alignment was seen this time, differences on global governance persisted. The UN announced the formation of an independent scientific panel on AI, while the US delegation cautioned against centralised global control of generative AI, highlighting the challenges in creating binding global rules.
The joint declaration said the summit would strengthen international cooperation and promote voluntary, non-binding guidelines and principles to advance AI for a prosperous future. It reaffirmed commitment to continued collaboration to translate shared aspirations into concrete action, guided by the three Sutras and seven pillars of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, with a focus on human capital development and inclusive growth.