PM Modi unveils ‘MANAV’ doctrine to humanize AI revolution

In a forceful pitch to shape the future of artificial intelligence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 19 unveiled India’s ‘MANAV’ doctrine — a human-first blueprint for governing AI — and warned against a world where people are reduced to “mere data points” in the race for technological dominance.

Addressing a packed audience at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, the Prime Minister called for the urgent democratization of artificial intelligence, positioning India as a moral and strategic voice for the Global South in the unfolding AI revolution.

“We must democratize AI. It must become a tool for inclusion and empowerment, particularly for the Global South,” he said, urging global leaders and technology giants to ensure that innovation remains firmly under human control.

A human-centric counter to AI excess

Drawing parallels between AI and historic civilizational leaps — from the discovery of fire to the invention of scripts and wireless communication — Modi described artificial intelligence as the next transformative inflection point in human history.

“What we are witnessing today is only the beginning of AI’s impact,” he said, cautioning that while AI holds immense transformative power, it could prove disruptive if left without ethical direction. “If it goes on the right path, it will help in the solution process.”

At the heart of his address was the unveiling of the MANAV framework — an acronym that doubles as the Hindi word for “human” — designed to anchor AI development in ethics, accountability and sovereignty.

The MANAV framework: India’s AI governance blueprint

The doctrine rests on five pillars:

• M — Moral and Ethical Systems: AI must be guided by moral responsibility and ethical safeguards.
• A — Accountable: Transparent rules and institutional oversight must ensure clear accountability.
• N — National Sovereignty: Data generated within a nation should remain under its jurisdiction and ownership.
• A — Accessible and Inclusive: AI must serve as a multiplier for opportunity, not a monopoly of power.
• V — Valid and Legitimate: Systems must be lawful, verifiable and aligned with the rule of law.

“This MANAV vision of India will become an important link for the welfare of humanity in the AI-based world of the 21st century,” Modi asserted.

A summit of scale — and symbolism

The six-day summit, themed ‘Welfare for All, Happiness for All’, has drawn participation from more than 100 countries and over 200,000 attendees — including global technology leaders such as Sam Altman, Sundar Pichai, and Jensen Huang.

Billed as the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, the event underscores India’s ambition to influence the global governance architecture of emerging technologies.

Modi highlighted the strong presence of young innovators at the summit, noting that despite early scepticism that often greets disruptive technologies, the next generation is already shaping the AI frontier.

The larger message

Beyond policy specifics, the Prime Minister’s address carried a broader philosophical message: technological progress must not eclipse human dignity.

“Welfare for all and happiness for all is our benchmark,” he said. “Humans should not become mere data points or raw material for AI.”

In a world racing to outpace one another in AI breakthroughs, India’s message was clear — the future of artificial intelligence must remain human at its core.