New Delhi, February 2026 — The landmark AI Impact Summit concluded in the national capital on February 21, marking a historic pivot in global technology governance. In a show of unprecedented unity, 86 nations and two international organizations signed the New Delhi Declaration, a human-centric framework designed to ensure that the Artificial Intelligence revolution benefits all of humanity, not just a handful of tech giants.

A Human-Centric Vision: The Delhi Declaration

The non-binding declaration marks the first time a major global AI conference has been hosted in a developing nation, following previous high-level summits in the UK, South Korea, and France.

Central to the document is a “human-centric” philosophy, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi described through the principle of “Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay” — the welfare and happiness of all. The declaration moves the conversation beyond mere technical safety to focus on how AI can solve real-world problems for the “Global South.”

The Seven “Chakras” of AI Development

The declaration introduces a strategic seven-pillar framework, referred to as the “Chakras,” to guide future policy:

• Human Capital: Prioritizing education and specialized skill training to prevent job displacement.
• Equitable Access: Ensuring that AI tools and digital infrastructure are not monopolized by developed nations but are available even to the smallest economies.
• Trust and Safety: Building robust, transparent, and secure systems that the public can rely on.
• Democratic Diffusion: Promoting open-source tools to foster innovation at every level of society.

The $250 Billion Investment Boom

Beyond policy, the summit triggered a massive financial surge, with private firms and institutional investors committing over $250 billion toward AI infrastructure. Leading the charge were India’s own industrial titans:

• Reliance Industries: Pledged a staggering $110 billion investment.
• Adani Group: Committed $100 billion to build the backbone of India’s AI future.
• Global Tech Giants: Microsoft and Google also pledged significant capital into Indian data centers and research labs.

Infrastructure: Securing Data Sovereignty

A primary focus of this capital is the creation of massive local Data Centers. To achieve “AI Sovereignty,” India aims to reduce its reliance on foreign cloud providers by building indigenous storage and high-performance computing clusters. To accelerate this, the government has offered total tax exemptions until 2047 for companies investing in semiconductor fabrication and advanced chip design.

India as the Global South’s AI Bridge

Geopolitically, the summit established India as a leading voice for developing nations. While the US dominates foundational AI models and Europe leads in regulation, India is positioning itself as the “Infrastructure and Deployment Hub”. By offering cheaper labor, vast land for data centers, and a massive developer pool, India aims to provide a neutral alternative to the technological duopoly of the US and China.

Bottom Line

The New Delhi Declaration has successfully shifted the global AI dialogue from fear to inclusion. While significant hurdles remain—such as a massive “talent gap” in chip engineering and the immense power requirements of data centers—the summit has signaled that the future of AI will be written with a pen held by the Global South. For the first time, the world has agreed that technological progress is hollow unless it serves the common good.