Modi's AI Vision: From Digital Laggard to Global Powerhouse

Modi Story, a popular social media handle on X, shared the country's journey from being an 'AI laggard' to emerging as a digital powerhouse, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the notable transition and explaining how technology has empowered the common citizens in the past decade.

Schemes like Direct Benefit Transfers, UPI payments and the Digital India initiative have been the key hallmarks of the Modi government in the past 10 years, showcasing how technology has been harnessed to the hilt to ensure that the public welfare schemes reach every citizen, irrespective of any class or strata.

In the video shared by Modi Story, Pratyush Kumar, co-founder of Sarvam AI, who met PM Modi during the recent roundtable with the Indian start-ups, says that the Prime Minister's insights and tips to fledgling entrepreneurs will go a long way in shaping India's journey in the digital landscape and setting the new AI ecosystem.

"Innovation must reach every hand was the broad message," he stated while recounting three aspects of the Prime Minister's suggestions, which included finding and ascertaining AI's connection with the civilizational roots, its impact on people's lives and strict adherence to ethics.

PM Modi, chairing a roundtable of the AI start-ups at his residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, last month, described India as a positive adopter of technology and emphasised that artificial intelligence should not remain limited to discussions about possibility.

Pratyush Kumar, lauding the motto and spirit of the ongoing AI Impact Summit 2026, says that the event's theme itself shows that the focus is on outcomes and implementation.

Further recounting conversations, he says that the Prime Minister clearly stated that the aim is "not simply to host an event in India, but to make it an event of India" and also ensure that it creates a measurable impact.

"The Prime Minister highlighted the rapid evolution of AI and why India must accelerate its AI Mission. His vision is to position India at the centre of the global AI conversation," he added.

The Prime Minister, during a meeting with the AI start-up founders, also stressed optimising the use of technology to serve the citizens, akin to the way the DBT served farmers via direct transfers.

"The model could be such that a farmer seeking crop advice or a student looking for personalised learning support should benefit directly from AI platforms," says the founder of Sarvam AI, a leading firm in the segment, which claims to build and harness the AI potential for India and its people with a collective and nation-wide endeavour.

- IANS