Speeches/Statements

Namaskar, Bom Dia, Good morning.

It is a pleasure to have you all at the Embassy of India this morning.

Welcome to my friend Ambassador Laudemar. Senior officials from various Ministries, Departments, State Governments and representatives of private sector of Brazil. Also, welcome to the senior officials from Government of India participating in today’s preparatory event in the run up to the AI Impact Summit in India.

Let me begin by tracing the short history of Artificial Intelligence, or AI in short, summits. The process began in UK in November 2023 focusing on "frontier risks" and led to the Bletchley Declaration, where 28 nations agreed to collaborate on AI safety.

It was followed by the Seoul Summit in May 2024, co-hosted by South Korea and UK, and expanded the focus to include innovation and inclusivity alongside safety.

The AI Action Summit in Paris last February, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, broadened the base for discussions by moving from high-level principles to concrete actions in governance and public interest AI.

Friends,

The global expansion of AI is already re-shaping our polity, our economy, our security and even our society. AI is writing the code for humanity in this century. But, it is very different from other technology milestones in human history. AI is developing at an unprecedented scale and speed. And being adopted and deployed even faster. There is also a deep inter-dependence across borders.

There is no doubt that there is a need for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards, that uphold our shared values, address risks, and build trust. But, Governance is not just about managing risks and rivalries. It is also about promoting innovation, and deploying it for the global good. So, we must think deeply and discuss openly about innovation and governance.

Governance is also about ensuring access to all, especially in the Global South. It is where the capacities are most lacking - be it compute power, talent, data, or the financial resources. Thus, India has called for collective efforts to establish a global framework for AI that upholds shared values, addresses risks, builds trust and ensures access to all, especially the Global South. India has also underlined the need for open-source systems that enhance trust and transparency, and building data sets “free from biases.”

It is in this context that India is hosting the 2026 Summit with the aim to bridge the Global AI Divide by democratizing access to resources. While earlier summits were primarily concerned with the existential risks of advanced models, the 2026 summit focuses on Demonstrable Outcomes and Global South Inclusion.

Anchored in the three principles or the Sutras for shaping a sustainable AI future, namely of People, Planet, and Progress, the Summit envisions a future where AI advances humanity, fosters inclusive growth and safeguards our shared planet.

• People: AI must serve humanity in all its diversity, preserving dignity and ensuring inclusivity.
• Planet: AI innovation must align with environmental stewardship and sustainability.
• Progress: AI's benefits must be equitably shared, advancing global development and prosperity.

 

Building on the 3 guiding Sutras, there are Seven Chakras, meaning themes in this case, translating the Sutras into concrete areas of multilateral action. Consequently, India created 7 Working Groups to work on each of these Chakras to channelize global collaboration towards measurable outcomes. These are, Human Capital, Inclusion for Social Empowerment, Safe & Trusted AI, Science, Resilience / Innovation & Efficiency, Democratizing AI Resources, and AI for Economic Development and Social Good.

Friends,

I must add that India has successfully built a Digital Public Infrastructure for over 1.4 billion people at a very low cost. It is built around an open and accessible network. It has regulations, and a wide range of applications to modernize our economy, reform governance and transform the lives of our people.

We have unlocked the power of data through our Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture. And, we have made digital commerce democratic and accessible to all. This vision is the foundation of India’s National AI Mission.

With its vibrant startup ecosystem, the 3rd largest in world; the 3rd largest number of Unicorns, over 120; and nearly 89% of new startups launched last year using AI in their products or services, India ranks 3rd globally in AI competitiveness. India also holds 16% of global AI talent, a pool projected to reach 1.25 million specialists by 2027.

According to joint report by India’s Nasscom and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), India’s artificial intelligence market is projected to reach approximately USD 17 billion by 2027 owing to India’s unique strengths including a vibrant technology workforce, expanding digital infrastructure, and a surge in generative AI adoption across enterprises.

I am aware that Brazil, India’s Strategic Partner since 2006, has also been making remarkable strides in technology, research, and innovation. It has launched its own AI Strategy as over 40% of Brazilian businesses are using AI for their operations.

India and Brazil share strong relationship in a wide spectrum of areas, particularly in Information Technology with presence of almost all the big Indian tech companies in Brazil who have invested billions of dollars and created about 15 thousand jobs for Brazilians.

With this background, I see an immense potential for bilateral as well as multilateral cooperation between the two democratic countries.

Thank you and I wish you a productive and inspiring session today.