PM Modi unveils ‘MANAV’ vision at Mega AI Impact Summit: Know What it means
While addressing the gathering on the fourth day of the event, Prime Minister Modi unveiled and explained the MANAV vision.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled India's "MANAV" vision for artificial intelligence while addressing global leaders at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.
What is MANAV?
While addressing the gathering on the fourth day of the event, Prime Minister Modi unveiled and explained that MANAV, the Hindi word for "human", serves as an acronym representing five core principles:
- M - Moral and Ethical Systems
- A - Accountable Governance
- N - National Sovereignty
- A - Accessible and Inclusive technology
- V - Valid and Legitimate systems
The M.A.N.A.V. vision for AI. pic.twitter.com/NVmxQ8bXq6
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 19, 2026
What did PM Modi say?
The Prime Minister stressed that the approach to artificial intelligence should focus on “how to make AI human-centric rather than AI-centric” as he presented the ‘MANAV’ framework.
"Today at the New Delhi AI Summit, I present a MANAV Vision for AI. MANAV means human in Hindi," he said.
#WATCH | Delhi: At the #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "Today at the New Delhi AI Impact Summit, I present the MANAV Vision for AI. MANAV means human, and MANAV Vision says M- moral and ethical systems: AI should be based on ethical guidance. A-… pic.twitter.com/KR3rz8pGet
— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2026
PM Modi further said that, “In MANAV, M- moral and ethical systems: AI should be based on ethical guidance. A- accountable governance means transparent rules, robust oversight; N- national sovereignty means whose data, his right. A- accessible and inclusive means AI should be a multiplier, not a monopoly. V- valid and legitimate means AI should be lawful and verifiable.”
What did PM Modi say about the vision?
Prime Minister Modi during the address said that "AI should be based on ethical guidance. This MANAV vision of India will become an important link for the welfare of humanity in the AI-based world of the 21st century.”
During his address, PM Modi also called for international cooperation, saying, “Let us pledge to develop AI as a global common good. A crucial need today is to establish global standards. Deepfakes and fabricated content are destabilising the open society...”
“In the digital world, content should also have authenticity labels so people know what's real and what's created with AI. As AI creates more text, images, and video, the industry increasingly needs watermarking and clear-source standards. Therefore, it's crucial that this trust is built into the technology from the start.”
Did PM Modi also warn about AI?
While addressing, the Prime Minister also warned against reducing individuals to mere data, saying “For AI, humans are just data points. To ensure that humans are not reduced to mere raw material, AI must be democratised. It must be made a medium for inclusion and empowerment, especially in the Global South.”
“We must give AI an open sky and also keep the command in our hands, like GPS. GPS shows us the way, but the final call on which direction we should go is ours.”
While describing AI, PM Modi said, “a transformative power but if directionless, it becomes a disruption; if the right direction is found, it becomes a solution. How to make AI from machine-centric to human-centric… this is the basic objective of this Global AI Impact Summit. Welfare of all, the happiness of all. This is our benchmark.”
